Ankara

Citizens in many parts of the country, especially in Istanbul, the capital Ankara and western province of İzmir, have welcomed the new year with various events, while a group of people in the southern province of Antalya celebrated the arrival of the new year by entering the sea at a temperature of 10 degrees.

Türkiye celebrates the 99th anniversary of Republic Day on Oct. 29 with official ceremonies and a series of events held throughout the country, its representations abroad and Turkish Cyprus.

Celebrations began with state officials' visit to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in the capital Ankara.

A 28-year-old pianist, Türkiye's first doctoral student with autism, has received great appreciation at his first concert, with audiences strongly applauding him for his remarkable performance.

Buğra Çankır, also known as the musical genius, was accompanied by the Ankara University Music and Fine Arts Orchestra for his concert in the capital Ankara.

IHG Hotels and Resorts that currently operates 28 hotels and has five hotels in the pipeline in Türkiye has announced several recent signings and openings in the country.

IHG, which is one of the world's leading hospitality companies, said new openings included Holiday Inn Trabzon East, Crowne Plaza Ankara and Crowne Plaza Istanbul Tuzla Viaport Marina.

Türkiye and the European Union will hold a high-level business dialogue meeting in Istanbul this week, after nearly three-and-a-half years in a bid to underline the importance of bilateral economic cooperation and amid Brussels' warning of circumvention of the sanctions against Russia.

The number of newly launched companies increased by 27.8 percent in September from a year ago, the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) announced on Oct. 21.

Last month, more than 13,000 new companies were established, compared to 10,200 businesses launched in the same month of 2021.

Ankara has criticized the EU's 2022 Türkiye report as another example of Brussels' biased stance against the candidate country, rejecting its findings on backsliding of fundamental rights as well as its pro-Greek approach on the eastern Mediterranean dispute.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has reacted against the Greek campaign "Asia Minor Catastrophe," calling on Athens to avoid "distorting" the history.

Over 225,000 people have applied for the housing project, which aims to help low-income citizens own houses and tackle problems regarding property prices and rents, on the first day of its launch, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has said.

"Applications for land and industrial workplaces will be made between Oct. 10 and Nov. 7," Kurum said.

With the U.S. Embassy in Ankara moving to its new location, some 25 to 30 cats living in the former embassy building's garden have been left abandoned, as per claims, though animal lovers have been extending help to look after those cats.

The U.S. Embassy moved to its new premises on Aug. 29 through an official ceremony held by Ambassador Jeff Flake and embassy staff.