Geography of Turkey

The Turkish home textile industry's export revenues stood at $5 billion last year, according to Hasan Hüseyin Bayram, head of the Home Textile Association (TETSİAD).

Local and international home textile companies met at the HOMETEX fair, which is being held between May 16 and 20.

This fair is expected to boost exports by 20 to 25 percent, said Bayram.

A traditional Turkish seafood dish called "Sinop lakerda," which reflects thousands of years of marine and fishing culture of the northern province of Sinop, has become the first seafood product ever to receive a geographical indication.

"Sinop lakerda" is a pickled dish prepared by slicing toric or large bonito fish, native to the Black Sea region.

The presidential election slated for a second round at the end of May is causing uncertainties in the tourism industry.

Sales are slow at the travel agencies, tour operators cannot make arrangements with airline companies due to uncertainties, people from the industry said.

A sculpture, which has been selected from 80 works, was placed right next to the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) in Istanbul's Taksim Square.

A sculpture competition was held in April last year to enrich the architecture of AKM, which underwent a great restoration work and now welcomes art lovers with its renewed face.

Two historians have found the lost martyrdom of the Çanakkale Battles after examining about 1,000 archival documents.

Three people died of a heart attack at separate polling stations during the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14.

In the Black Sea province of Rize, 64-year-old Şeref Kurt was on duty at one of the polling stations set up at a school where he also voted.

He suddenly collapsed at the polling booth around 9 a.m.

With an aim to re-green the burned forestlands, Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University students have developed a seeding tool named "Seedrone," which can do seeding from the air.

A group of students from Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Vocational School of Technical Sciences has developed a project for the re-greening of forests damaged by fires.

With the completion of the restoration works, the Maiden's Tower was opened to visitors late on May 11 with light and laser shows, and entries will be free until the end of May.

An eviction case has been filed against the Koç University Rectorate by the Aya Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church and the İlk Mektebi Foundation, the property owners, for allegedly not paying their rent regularly.

Imamoglu speaks to the crowd in Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Photo: Istanbul Municipality