Körfez, Kocaeli

A record fine of nearly 34 million Turkish Liras ($887,000) has been imposed on two ships found to have polluted the İzmit Bay in the northwestern province of Kocaeli, the governor's office has announced.

A record fine of 30 million Turkish Liras ($1.6 million) has been imposed on a tanker at the port in the northwestern province of Kocaeli due to leakage caused into the sea while transferring fuel oil.

The fuel overflowed into the sea due to the pressure while transferring it to the tanker named "Atacama," anchored in a port in the Körfez district.

Turkey will use oxygenation technology to protect the Sea of Marmara from mucilage, also known as sea snot, as part of the country's clean-up campaign launched earlier this month, said the environment minister on June 21.

Some 800 kilograms of cocaine that was apprehended on Aug. 8 in the Körfez district of the western province of Kocaeli was the largest amount seized in a single anti-drug operation in Turkey, security sources said. Click through for the story in photos...

A court in the northwestern province of Kocaeli has ruled that an overpass footbridge must be demolished upon the application of an 80-year-old woman, who had complained that pedestrians walking on the footbridge could see into her house.

The local branch of the Forestry Ministry in the northwestern province of Kocaeli on Jan. 30 filed a criminal complaint against a port in the industrial Dilovası district, which led to the spillage of 100 tons of oil into the İzmit Gulf. 

One man died and two others were wounded on Oct. 16 due an explosion of hand-made dynamite, prepared in order to find treasure in the northeastern province of Kocaeli, Doğan News Agency has reported.

Seven locals, two of whom were siblings, decided to use dynamite to mine areas of Kocaeli suspected of harboring treasure.