Kocaeli

Istanbul has been officially recognized as Türkiye's sole "global city," with five others earmarked for potential global status, according to an assessment by the Industry and Technology Ministry as part of a strategic plan to enhance regional competitiveness and economic integration in the international arena.

A powerful explosion occurred at the Tupras refineries in Nicomedia (Izmit), Turkey, approximately 95 kilometers east of Istanbul. According to a statement from the company, 12 people were injured in the explosion.

Emergency teams on Nov. 5 brought blazes under control at a facility of oil refinery Tüpraş in the northwestern province of Kocaeli after an explosion sparked a fire, with 12 workers slighlty injured.

The incident took place around 1:30 a.m. at Tüpraş's İzmit facility during a scheduled drill.

A new project designed to unify public transportation across the country under a single card system is set to begin partial implementation in Istanbul, with plans to expand the program nationwide.

The Türkiye Card rollout in Istanbul follows an Oct. 31 decision by the megacity's transportation coordination center UKOME.

The Turkish president has hit out at military graduates who took a pro-secular oath during their graduation ceremony, promising that those behind it would be "purged" from the military.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has vowed to take action following controversy over a graduation ceremony at the National Defense University's (MSÜ) land forces academy.

"Some exploiters came forward and drew their swords during the recent graduation ceremony," Erdoğan said at an event in the northwestern city of Kocaeli on Sept. 7.

Türkiye's overall population is expected to grow by 2.8 million by 2030, although five of the country's 81 provinces will experience a population decline, according to a study conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

Eight suspects have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of the vice principal of a high school in the northwestern city of Kocaeli, including the perpetrator.

Mahir Çoğaç, 45, was attacked while preparing to leave for work around 9 a.m. on June 26 in the Çayırova district.

The vice principal of a high school in the northwestern city of Kocaeli was shot and killed outside his home by a reported 17-year-old suspect early on June 26.

The suspect remains at large as police intensify their search efforts.

Mahir Çoğaç, 45, was preparing to leave for work around 9 a.m. when he was attacked.

The e-commerce volume in Türkiye increased more than 115 percent last year from 2022 to reach 1.85 trillion Turkish Liras ($77.9 billion), according to a report by the Trade Industry.

The ministry forecasts that the e-commerce volume will hit 3.4 trillion liras and the number of transactions will reach 6.67 billion in 2024.