News

August 13, 2024

Turkish company Yilport Holding invests $1.62 billion in the expansion of two ports in El Salvador

President of El Salvador Nib Buquela announced to the public that the Turkish company Yilport Holding is investing $1.62 billion in the expansion of two important ports in El Salvador. Yilport Holding will use the ports in conjunction with the local port authority. Bukele has posted a message in Turkish on the internet: "'Ülkemizin tarihindeki en b y k zel yatırım" (the largest private investment in our country s history). Yilport intends to triple the capacity of El Salvador s largest port, Akahutla. The investment will also be directed towards the reconstruction of the eastern port of La Unyona, which was completed in 2008 but remains closed. According to Bouquele, in order for the port of La Unyonne to start operating, dredging work must first be carried out, which will allow larger vessels to enter. Yilport, together with the Autonomous Port Executive Commission of El Salvador (CEPA), will manage both ports on a 50-year concession. However, under Salvadoran law, such concessions may not exceed 40 years. Therefore, it is not clear whether the law will be amended for a 50-year period of operation.
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August 12, 2024

Turkey bans online advertising for lawyers 

Lawyers are now prohibited from posting any information related to their professional activities, including income. The new amendments also provide for a command investigation of violations. Lawyers are also required to respect confidentiality and avoid online activities that could damage the reputation of the profession. Meetings with clients should be conducted in accordance with high standards of legal ethics and should not violate the prohibition on advertising.
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August 12, 2024

The first Turkish company to introduce a four-day workweek has seen a significant increase in employee motivation 

This is the case of Aksa Akrilik Kimya Sanayii, which after a successful year-long experiment has moved to a shorter workweek on a permanent basis without reducing wages and benefits. In a pilot project involving 200 office workers, the company sought to improve productivity and work-life balance. Aksa s CEO, Genghis Tash, noted that the new schedule has gained widespread support among employees and significantly strengthened team spirit. According to him, 94% of the employees took part in the test, which resulted in an increase in engagement, productivity and motivation by more than 85%. Aksa s example is not unique: companies around the world are also experimenting with a four-day working week. For example, in the UK and Germany such experiments have already yielded positive results, and many firms have refused to return to the standard schedule. At the same time, not all companies are managing such a transition - the Hungarian branch of Deutsche Telekom, for example, has returned to a five-day workweek after a failed experiment. However, Aksa continues to adapt the new schedule by offering employees flexibility in their choice of weekends. This innovation has contributed to further improvement of employee satisfaction, which has resulted in an increase in the number of applicants for vacant positions.
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August 12, 2024

Chinese company Chery has intensified negotiations on the construction of a car plant in Turkey

This step became especially urgent after the Turkish government introduced a 40% additional tax on imports of cars from China as of July 7, 2024. In response, Chery, like other major Chinese producers, has begun to look for ways to increase its investment in Turkey, which is an important strategic market. Following the example of another Chinese giant, BYD, which has already announced plans to invest $1 billion in a plant in Turkey, Chery is also looking to build its own facility. The company is considering two possible locations for the plant - Samsun and Manisa. Although the final decision has not yet been made, Chery plans to use the plant both to meet domestic demand and for exporting cars to Europe and neighboring markets. Chery already ranks third in car sales in Turkey, behind only Volkswagen and Fiat. This success confirms the direction taken and provides additional incentive for further investment in the region. The company is now actively pursuing negotiations with Ancara to accelerate its plans.
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August 9, 2024

Turkey’s cigarette maker has been issued a record fine of 6 billion lire

The Turkish tax inspectorate is strengthening its control over large taxpayers. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury, under the leadership of Mehmet Shimshek, continues to actively fight tax evasion by directing its efforts at companies with unaccounted revenues. As part of these measures, a record fine of 6 billion lire (almost $180 million) was imposed on one of the largest cigarette producers. Intensive vetting and combating informal economy The ministry has increased its scrutiny of large taxpayers across the country, focusing on companies that hide revenues. This move is part of a campaign to ensure fair taxation, where the burden falls on those who earn more. The verification revealed that a large part of the tobacco producer s revenue was not declared.
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August 9, 2024

Inflation projections in Turkey

The Central Bank of Turkey has left its inflation projections unchanged: 38% is expected at the end of 2024, 14% in 2025 and 9% in 2026. The head of the Central Bank, Fatih Karahan, stressed that the regulator is ready to take all necessary measures to achieve these goals and has already proved it in practice. Turkish inflation projections from international financial institutions: - Amundi, the largest asset management company in Europe, is forecasting a drop in inflation in Turkey to around 50% in August. The further decline is expected to be gradual, with inflation reaching 40-45% by year end. - JP Morgan has adjusted its forecast for inflation in Turkey at the end of the year from 43.5% to 42.5%, and at the end of 2025 from 25.2% to 25%. - Goldman Sachs predicts that inflation will fall to 36% by the end of the year. -Morgan Stanley also lowered its expectations, predicting year-end inflation at 42.4% instead of 43.4%, and 25.2% by the end of 2025. - Barclays revised its forecast, lowering inflation expectations at year-end from 44.5% to 44%, with a forecast for 2025 of 30.8%. - Deutsche Bank also expects inflation to be around 40% by the end of the year.
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August 9, 2024

University of Alanya entered the international ranking RUR 2024

The University of Alicante has achieved significant success in the prestigious Round University Ranking (RUR) 2024, which evaluates the work of universities around the world. In a ranking of more than 1,100 universities from 82 countries, Alanyi State University ranked 900th in the world. Among the universities in Turkey ALKÜ (Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat Üniversitesi) is ranked 32nd. The number of publications reflecting the quality of work of the university s teaching staff was 92,750, and the number of citations - 99,364. These data show the importance that universities attach to their research and its research capacity. Professor Mesut Guner, Rector of the University of Alanya, praised this important achievement and stressed that the university s place in world rankings is getting better every year: "This rating is the most concrete indication that Alanyi has a structure that attaches great importance to research and holds an important place in the international arena. This success, achieved through the dedicated work of our academic staff and international cooperation, is a strong source of motivation that will accompany us further".
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August 9, 2024

Istanbul Municipality increased the number of buses to city beaches

The Istanbul Public Transport Department IETT operates 1,815 daily flights on 205 buses to beaches located in different areas of the city: Kilyos, Şile, Florya, Caddebostan, Riva and Silivri. The detailed schedule and times of departure can be found on https://iett.istanbul/icerik/plaj-hatlari
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August 8, 2024

Dubai is the most popular city in TikTok 

Dubai has become the leader in TikTok with 29.7 million videos. The city has overtaken London, Paris and Istanbul, attracting users with views of the Burj Khalifa, dancing at the Dubai Fountain and luxury restaurants. TikTok with more than a billion active users is promoting Dubai s popularity, where in the first half of 2024 the number of tourists increased by 9% to 9.31 million. In 2023, the city was visited by 17.15 million tourists, and a new record attendance is expected in 2024. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum noted that Dubai continues to strengthen its position in the global tourism market. He encouraged the tourism industry to expand partnerships and create unforgettable experiences for tourists.
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August 8, 2024

Turkish citizens asked about the most important problems in the country

The research agency ASAL Research asked residents of 26 provinces in Turkey "What is the most important problem for Turkey?". In total, 2,000 people aged 18 and over were interviewed between 10 and 17 July. 64.6% of respondents said that the most important problem in Turkey is economy and cost of living. The complete results of the survey are as follows: Economy and cost of living - 64.6%Refugees - 6.2% Justice - 5.5%Unemployment - 3.4%Education - 3%Security - 1.7%Terrorism - 1.2%Moral values - 0.6%Stray animals - 0.5%Constitution - 0.4%Everything is a problem - 6.6%Other - 2.4%No problems - 1.2%No response - 2.7% The respondents were also asked a second question: "Which political party can solve Turkey s problems?". None - 36.6% ACR -21.5% CHP - 19.2% DEM - 3.5% MHP - 3.0% Zafer Partisi - 1.9% Yeniden Refah Partisi - 1.6% İyi Parti - 1.2% T rkiye İş i Partisi - 0.3% Other - 2.2% No answer - 9.0%
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August 8, 2024

Dubai International Airport is about to change 

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is preparing to introduce a number of new features that will make the airport even more comfortable for passengers. Dubai Airports said that passengers will see significant improvements in the coming months. One of the main changes will be new parking lots with color markings, which will make navigation easier for drivers. The new parking system will reduce the time it takes to find a free space and increase convenience for everyone. According to the DXB website, the cost of parking in Terminal 2 is from 15 dirhams per hour to 125 dirhams per day. In terminals 1 and 3, the cost varies from 5 dirhams per hour to 125 dirhams per day, with each additional day costing 100 dirhams. In the first six months of this year, the airport has taken in a record number of passengers - 44.9 million people, an 8% increase over last year. The number of flights also increased by 7.2% and reached 216 thousand. January was the busiest month with 7.9 million guests. The real-time monitoring system used at DXB airport helps employees to prevent queues and improve passenger comfort. In the first half of 2024, 98% of passengers waited less than 10 minutes at passport control on departure and less than 15 minutes on arrival, and 95% of guests passed security control on departure in less than three minutes. These changes and improvements make DXB one of the most convenient and efficient airports in the world, continuing to attract millions of passengers annually.
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August 7, 2024

Turkey’s Supreme Military Council increases the number of generals and admirals

The Turkish Supreme Military Council has given new ranks of general and admiral. The Supreme Military Council, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and held in the presidential complex, discussed and adopted decisions on the new ranks of the Turkish Armed Forces. According to the Communications Office of the Administration of the Turkish President, 23 generals and admirals were promoted, 77 colonels became generals and admirals, 34 generals and admirals were extended for one year, and 455 colonels were extended for two years. It is also reported that 2 generals will retire on 1 September 2024 upon reaching retirement age, and 29 generals and admirals will be retired due to the lack of personnel. The term of office of Admiral Erjyument Tatlyoglu, Commander of the Navy, was extended for one year. Thus, from 30 August 2024 the number of generals and admirals in the Turkish Army will be 327.
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