Ankara

In an apparent response to the opposition's rekindled accusations of nepotism, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has endorsed meritocracy.

The Turkish capital?s eccentric mayor has announced the municipality will install a dinosaur statue to replace the controversial Transformers-esque robot at a road intersection in the city, because it ?got on the leftists? nerves.?

On April 15, Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu read out his election manifesto - a manifesto that actually states he will leave his position if he wins the elections.

If you ask whether or not the election manifestos of political parties should be taken seriously, I would say ?no.? They write the manifestos, but no voters read them. Later, they are all forgotten.

Turkey is not the only country in the world where Islamist Machiavellism features excessive doses of deception and perception management in the name of ?dawa?: The holy cause, or advancement of Islam as a political - and therefore social - ideology.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu?s call for opposition leaders to review the ruling Justice and Development Party?s (AKP) 100-article ?2023 New Turkey Contract? and election manifesto has received a bitter response from the Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP), with its co-chair labeling the texts ?self-denying? by Davuto?lu.

The Hacettepe University International Bartok Music Festival and Symposium will be held between April 24 and 30 in Ankara.

The name of Ankara?s Tando?an Square has been changed to Anadolu Square following a decision by the municipal city council. 

The name Tando?an comes from former Ankara Gov. Nevzat Tando?an, who was appointed in 1929. 

A top electoral official in Turkey has reassured the public that the controversial blackouts during the local elections last year would not be repeated in the upcoming parliamentary elections, as ?all cats have been caught.?

The former head of Turkey?s top science body and two of its employees were detained on April 14 for hiring an employee with a fake diploma, amid allegations of illegal wire-tapping targeting senior government officials.

Additional land, measuring 8,406 square meters, of the Atatürk Forest Farm (AOÇ) has been allocated to the new presidential palace, Ak Saray, strongly criticized due to its cost and size.