Murat Kurum

Murat Kurum, the Istanbul mayoral candidate representing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)-led People's Alliance, has unveiled plans for the megacity primarily aimed at alleviating the city's notorious traffic congestion.

Murat Kurum, the mayoral candidate for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Istanbul, has unveiled his agenda, focusing on critical issues such as urban transformation and traffic problems.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has officially declared that Murat Kurum, the former environment, urbanization and climate change minister, will be his Justice and Development Party's (AKP) candidate for the mayoral seat in Istanbul.

Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has said that thanks to the precautions the ministry has taken, the water of Lake Salda has reached the level of being drinkable.

Authorities are working on a new regulation that would introduce a cap on rent increases, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ has said.

"The limit in rent hikes will be based on the inflation rate, and this will be a temporary measure," Bozdağ told reporters in the Central Anatolian province of Yozgat.

As part of efforts to curb the increases in rent and home prices, the government plans to sell public lands in large cities to people who want to build houses, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has said.

The Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry has started to demolish some 300 unlicensed constructions in the world-famous Göcek region in the southwestern province of Muğla.

Göcek, famous for its turquoise waters, is a popular destination for yacht tourism.

The government will provide financial support to the tune of 37 billion Turkish Liras ($2.7 billion) to municipalities' climate-friendly projects, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has announced.

A need for a contract under the U.N. Environment Program, similar to the Barcelona Convention, stands as an inevitable reality, while marine litter and especially single-use plastics threaten the future of seas and sea creatures, a senior Turkish official said.

Within the scope of the decisions to be taken in the country's very first "Climate Council" slated for January, the government will draw its own roadmap to fight against the effects of climate change, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has said.