Places

A rabbi who took shelter in a Turkish mosque during a massive snowstorm in Istanbul that ravaged the Turkish metropolis a few days ago has finally arrived in his native Israel.

Israel Elbom, a 62-year-old rabbi and kashrut supervisor who was on a work assignment in Istanbul, was brought to a mosque by security forces after being stranded on a highway for half a day.

Snowy and cold weather and the mid-term school break may lead to some decline in COVID-19 cases in Istanbul but at the same time the increased movement between Turkey's most populous city and other provinces pose risks for those destinations, experts have said.

A powerful snowstorm that crippled Turkey's largest city has become the subject of a heated political debate, with officials from the ruling Justice and Developed Party (AKP) accusing Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu of failing to respond to the crisis properly.

A subsidiary of the Vehbi Koç Foundation, Arter continues its multidisciplinary program comprised of exhibitions, events, learning, and publications at its building in Istanbul.

Authorities cleared a runway at Istanbul Airport on Jan. 25, allowing limited flights to resume. Flights were suspended on Monday for safety reasons at the airport. Istanbul's second airport, Sabiha Gökcen, was also operating limited services.

The Minister of Tourism Hristo Prodanov held a working meeting with the Ambassador of the State of Israel, H.E. Yoram Elron. The two discussed bilateral relations between Israel and Bulgaria, as well as ways to improve tourist flows between the two countries.

"The flight suspension has been extended until 10:00 GMT (11:00 a.m. CET) on January 25 due to unfavorable weather conditions," the airport in Istanbul said on its website, Reuters reports.
Turkish authorities today declared administrative leave for all employees in public institutions in order to reduce mobility.

Heavy snow in Turkey that started on Sunday night has brought life in Istanbul and Turkish Thrace to a standstill. Schools were cancelled, university exams postponed and all flights at Istanbul Airport were cancelled.

The snow is expected to continue on Monday and Tuesday especially on the European side of Istanbul and Turkish Thrace.

Some 200 mosaics unearthed in the southern province of Hatay during archaeological excavations conducted by a commission set up before 1939, the year when the city joined the Turkish Republic, are exhibited abroad, as the artifacts found were shared among the commission members, says Hatice Pamir from Mustafa Kemal University's Archaeology Department.

With the femicide problem in the country aggravating and people taking to social media expressing their deep concerns, a new femicide case of a nurse who got shot by a man who stormed into a family health care center in Istanbul has triggered a nationwide wave of anger.