Konya

Yunus Emre, one of the most important figures of Turkish-Islamic folk thought, was commemorated on the 700th anniversary of his death at the world-famous Ishak Pasha Palace in the eastern province of Ağrı.

In the program, held in the courtyard of the historic palace, the Konya Turkish Sufi Music Ensemble performed various works by the great mystic.

An African moon moth, the newest member of Konya province's tropical butterfly garden, attracts visitors' attention with its elongated tail that is able to reach 20 centimeters in length. (AA Photo)

Lake Akşehir, a tectonic freshwater endorheic lake in Turkey's southwestern province of Konya, has almost dried up due to years of low rainfall and misusage of its water for agricultural purposes.

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The 54-square-kilometer lake considerably shrank this year, with a swamp and reeds taking over its coast, along with weeds outgrowing on the shores.

The gate of an ancient castle used by several civilizations over thousands of years has been unearthed in central Turkey, according to a senior academic involved in the dig.

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Lake Marmara in Turkey's western province of Manisa has almost dried up due to years of low rainfall and misusage of its water for agricultural purposes.

Created by the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) for agricultural irrigation in 1945, the lake used to give an average of 150 million cubic meters of water per year to the Gediz Plain.

The main suspect in the murder of seven members of a family last week in the Central Anatolian province of Konya's Meram district has been arrested.

Mehmet Altun, who has been in hiding for six days, was captured by security forces in a cemetery in the Bozkır district of Konya, with a gun and 18 bullets on him.

Seven members of a family were killed on July 30 in central Turkey by armed assailants who tried to burn their house.

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The Dedeoğlu family had been seriously injured in another attack in the middle of May by neighbors in the region of Konya.

10 suspects were detained, according to a statement by the Chief Prosecutor's office in Konya. 

Turkish authorities have launched an investigation after thousands of baby flamingos were found dead on a dried part of Lake Tuz (Lake Salt) in the Central Anatolian province of Konya this week, reviving debates about the impact of drought on the ecosystem.

A new high-tech development and design center established at Karatay University in central Turkey with EU funds promises prototyping, validation and testing processes in the production industry's research and development (R&D) projects.

The layers of salt in Lake Tuz, Turkey's second-biggest lake, is diminishing as the water mass of the lake is shrinking, an expert warned on June 6.

"Due to drought, the lake faces the threat of shrinking, as the water has ebbed around a kilometer," Hatice Ünal Ercan told Demirören News Agency.