Bursa

After parties ignoring COVID-19 restrictions stirred a debate on social media, gendarmerie teams imposed a fine of 85,000 Liras on entertainment venues in Mount Uludağ, a well-known winter tourist attraction and a center of nature sports in the northwestern province of Bursa.

An increase in intercity travels in the ongoing three-week school break can trigger a surge in COVID-19 cases similar to the one Turkey experienced during the Eid al-Adha holiday in 2020 summer, Tevfik Özlü from the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board has warned as the hotels in ski resorts and tourism hotspots have started operating at nearly full capacity.

Cumalıkızık, an Ottoman village which is famous for its historical buildings that include frame houses, mosques and inns, mesmerize visitors with beautiful views, while offering them an escape from the chaos of urban life.

Turkey on Jan. 8 reported a significant drop in the countrywide number of novel coronavirus cases over last two weeks.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Twitter that there had been a 40% drop in the caseload of both Istanbul and the Aegean province Izmir, as well as a reduction of roughly 60% both in the capital Ankara and northwestern Bursa province.

Turkish security forces have confiscated bootleg alcohol during targeted operations across the country in the runup to New Year's Eve.

Different amounts of bootleg were seized in various provinces, but the security units found the biggest stash in three provinces.

Underwater archaeological research has been continuing in the ancient basilica, which was discovered 20 meters off the İznik Lake in the northwestern province of Bursa's İznik district in 2014. The basilica is located at a depth of 1.5-2 meters.

One person died after consuming counterfeit alcohol in Turkey on Dec. 15, while seven are under treatment in hospitals.

The fatality occurred in the northwestern Bursa province.

Six people were admitted to a hospital in Bursa, while one person is getting treatment in the northwestern Kırklareli province.

The officials are expecting a tourism boom in more than 50 ski resorts in Turkey in the new year despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as people have started booking resorts with a 4-day stay, including the weekend.

An aerial picture taken by a drone shows Guzelce aqueduct on the part of the Alibeykoy dam in Istanbul, Turkey, 10 December 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

The levels are at their lowest in 10 years, with reservoirs in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Bursa - Turkey's four biggest cities - only 24 per cent, 23 per cent, 36 per cent and 24 per cent full respectively.

People enjoy autumn colors with tones of yellow, red, and brown of Uludağ Mountain, one of the most significant winter tourism destination in Turkey's Bursa province. (Source: AA)