Marmara Region

With thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rains likely to batter western parts of the Türkiye, raising the possibility of flash floods and landslides, the Turkish State Meteorological Service has issued a "yellow" alert for 10 provinces in Türkiye's west, including Istanbul.

The northwestern province of Bursa, likely to be severely affected by a much-anticipated Marmara quake, sits on 11 active fault lines, not six, the number set by the previous studies, a report by Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has said.

An old quarry in Istanbul's Kartal district has become a natural habitat with a pond that hosts fish and birds over time, with the area planned to be turned into a National Park.

Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum met with neighborhood residents at the Kartal Orhantepe neighborhood's urban transformation project meeting.

TCG Anadolu, the world's first armed ship carrying unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV), docked at Sarayburnu on April 17 and is open to the public.

The ship, which set off from the Tuzla district to Sarayburnu, entered the Bosphorus on April 16. The Bosphorus was closed to sea transport when TCG Anadolu entered. Soldiers ready with equipped weapons on the ship also drew attention.

A work has been initiated by Istanbul Municipality to prevent the buildings lying parallel to the E-5 highway, which will provide transportation in Istanbul in case of a possible earthquake, from collapsing and blocking the road.

Torrential rains are expected throughout the country as of April 18, while the precipitation will also last during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, according to the latest weather report of the Turkish State Meteorological Service.

Within the scope of preparation for the major earthquake expected in the Marmara region, 500,000 of the 1.5 million risky residences in Istanbul will be rebuilt on-site, and satellite cities of 500,000 residences will be established on both sides of the megacity to relocate the rest, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has announced.

The disappearance of one of the historical snake statues on the columns in the front gate of Galatasaray High School on the İstiklal Avenue of Istanbul has sparked controversy.

Şerif Yaşar, the president of the Art History Association, said that the statue which is more than than 150 years old, no longer exists in its place.

Amid rising earthquake concerns in Türkiye's largest metropolis Istanbul, people have started migrating from the districts closer to fault lines to more safe locations, as many apartments sit vacant.

Landlords, who are having problems finding new tenants for those houses, which are mostly old structures, have no other solution but to reduce rents.

The 100-year-old building of Beyazıt Han in Istanbul's Karaköy district has collapsed, a place that carried significant historical importance for being a hub for tailors in the past.

Partial collapses occurred in the historic abandoned building on Kemeraltı Street in the morning hours of April 6. Upon the incident, police and fire brigade teams were dispatched to the scene.