Büyükçekmece

Tarık Akan, one of the most notable names of the "Yeşilçam" era of modern Turkish cinema, was commemorated at various events in Istanbul on the fifth anniversary of his death on Sept. 16.

Akan's family, veteran actors of the Turkish cinema industry and loyal fans of the movie star attended the commemoration ceremony held in Zuhuratbaba Cemetery in the Bakırköy district.

A Korean delegation visited two Turkish veterans of the Korean War to pay their respects in Istanbul's Büyükçekmece district on July 31.

The visit was paid as part of the 18th Culture and Festival in Büyükçekmece.

Municipalities in Istanbul have started a drive to protect stray cats from heavy snowfall and storms that have lasted for nearly a week and severely affected life in Turkey's largest city. 

A district on Istanbul's western outskirts has taken a blockbuster step to become a cinema leader in Europe after laying the foundations for the Midwood Istanbul Film Studio Complex, which will be the largest on the continent.

The Midwood project will make Turkey a significant arts and cinema player in Europe, said the deputy speaker of Turkey's parliament, Mehmet Akif Hamzaçebi.

The claim that the municipality of Istanbul's coastal Büyükçekmece district plan to construct on 30,000-square-meter green area by the sea has drawn criticisms and protests from Büyükçekmece residents and rights groups, daily Hürriyet has reported.