News

May 17, 2024

A ban on the import of a second phone into Turkey?

According to the Sabah newspaper, a new decree has been adopted regarding phones imported into Turkey from abroad. From now on, even if the customs tax for the second phone is paid, it cannot be imported into the country. The publication reports that if a citizen tries to enter Turkey with two phones, one of them will be confiscated by customs. When the citizen goes abroad again, the confiscated phone will be returned to him. However, the maximum possible shelf life of the phone at customs will be 3 months. In addition, the citizen will have to pay for the fact that the phone was stored at customs (the amounts are not disclosed). At this stage, all this information is only at the level of statements. An official statement from government sources has not yet been received. There is also no claim that the ruling only applies to new phones. Apparently, we are talking about all phones purchased outside Turkey. We remind you that now you can use a phone imported from abroad for a maximum of 180 days: 120 days + two 30-day extensions via e-devlet. The phone registration fee in Turkey currently stands at 31.692 liras ($982).
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May 17, 2024

The cost of public transport has been increased in Antalya

In accordance with the decision taken at the General Assembly of UHOME (Department of Transport Planning and Railway System of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality), public transport fares have increased by 33%. Thus, the full ticket price is now 20 liras, when paying with a card - 25 liras, travel for pensioners and teachers - 19 liras, travel for students and schoolchildren - 10 liras.
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May 17, 2024

A large-scale operation against fraudsters involved in the issuance of Turkish citizenship and residence permit

During the operation in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Gaziantep, 60 people were detained who acted as intermediaries in transactions with foreign citizens who received the right to Turkish citizenship for real estate investments. The suspects were taken to Istanbul and interrogated. With the help of a network created by the suspects, it was found that more than 800 foreigners were granted the right to citizenship using forged documents by overestimating the cadastral value of objects. The suspects were detained on charges of creating a criminal organization, smuggling migrants, forgery of documents and qualified fraud. The operation was organized by the staff of the Department for Combating the Smuggling of Migrants of the Istanbul Police Department. It was established that the detained suspects acted as intermediaries in obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Turkey for amounts significantly below the established limits, and received commissions for this. The investigation into the suspects is ongoing, but it is already known that since 2021 they have received about 3 billion 500 million liras. With regard to foreign citizens who have received a residence permit and citizenship through these persons, it is safe to say that all issued documents will be canceled, and the citizens themselves will be deported. Be careful! Do not contact dubious companies promising to issue a residence permit and Turkish citizenship at an "affordable" price. In the future, such "services" can bring a lot of problems.
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May 17, 2024

May 18 - Museum Day in Turkey

Events within the framework of the Museum Week will be held in Turkey from May 18 to 24. Museev's International Day on May 18, he was elected Museev's International Advisor (ICOM) in 1977 in the year. Traditionally, on this day, museums will open their doors to thousands of visitors. The museum under the Aegean UN and ICOM, which depart to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, will work for free on May 18 until 23.00 within the framework of the academy "European Night of Museums", which this year will be celebrated for the 19th time in Europe and for the 18th time in Turkey. The programs of events that will be held in the museums will be available on the websites of the respective governorates. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has shared a list of places that can be visited for free. The statement says that all museums and archaeological sites in Turkey can be visited free of charge on Museum Day: Adana Museum, Amasya Museum, Ankara Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Republican Museum, Antalya Museum, Alanya Museum in Antalya, Museum of Lycian Civilizations in Antalya, Side Museum in Antalya, Aydin Museum, Bartin Amasra Museum, Burdur Museum, Bursa Archaeological Museum, Troy Canakkale Museum, Chorum Museum, Edirne Museum, Turkish Edirne Museum Museum of Islamic Artifacts, Erzurum Ataturk House Museum, Eskisehir Archaeological Museum, Gazientep Archaeological Museum, Gaziantep Zevgma Mosaic Museum, Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Artifacts, Izmir Archaeological Museum, Izmir Ataturk Museum, Izmir Ephesus Museum, Izmir Odemish Museum, Kastamonu Museum, Kars Museum, Kocaeli Museum, Konya Karatai Museum of Chinese Artifacts, Konya Mevlan Museum, Mardin Museum, Mersin Museum, Mugla Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, Memorial Tomb and Museum complex of Mugla Milas Uzunyuva, Mugla Fethiye Museum, Mugla Marmaris Museum, Mush Museum, Nevsehir Hajibektas Museum, Nowhere Museum, Samsun Gazi Museum, Sinop Museum, Sivas Museum, Tunceli Museum, Ushak Museum, Van Museum.
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May 15, 2024

Astra Tech company in the UAE has launched a Palm Pay hand payment service

Palm Pay technology, developed by Astra Tech, allows you to make payments with the palm of your hand. It is claimed that the technology is 1,300 times safer than face scanning. A scan of the user's palm is entered into the system, after which he can pay for purchases with his hand in places where such terminals are installed. The company is going to install more than 50,000 Palm Bay terminals in the country in 2024. Experts call the possible leakage of biometric data of customers a disadvantage of the technology, therefore, when using this system, special attention should be paid to protecting the user database.
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May 15, 2024

Astra Tech company in the UAE has launched a Palm Pay hand payment service

Palm Pay technology, developed by Astra Tech, allows you to make payments with the palm of your hand. It is claimed that the technology is 1,300 times safer than face scanning. A scan of the user's palm is entered into the system, after which he can pay for purchases with his hand in places where such terminals are installed. The company is going to install more than 50,000 Palm Bay terminals in the country in 2024. Experts call the possible leakage of biometric data of customers a disadvantage of the technology, therefore, when using this system, special attention should be paid to protecting the user database.
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May 14, 2024

It's time to tighten your belts! Turkey has published a package of measures to save money in the public sector

Minister of Finance and Treasury Shimshek has unveiled a package of measures that will be taken to save money in the public sector and will be in effect for 3 years. The measures are aimed at more efficient use of state resources and combating inflation. At the moment, the package includes the following items:- prohibition on the purchase of vehicles- prohibition on the use of foreign-made vehicles- prohibition on the purchase, construction and rental of buildings and premises- tightening control over already concluded lease agreements and termination of contracts, if necessary- hiring of employees in the public sector will be carried out in accordance with the number of employees who have retired (i.e., how many employees have retired, so many new employees will be hired to replace those who have left)- limitation of the amount of remuneration received by civil servants who are members of the Board of Directors- introduction of full digitization of document flow and reporting, including digitization of archives- saving energy resources and switching to "green" energy- Representation and promotion allowances will be reduced by 25 %- with the exception of international meetings and national holidays, the organization of foreign trips, receptions, dinners, etc. is prohibited.- Prohibition on giving gifts- funds for the purchase of goods and services will be reduced by 10%, and for investments - by 15%. "The savings measures apply to the entire public sector. All civil servants, without exception, must comply with them. Monitoring, auditing and reporting will be carried out. Administrative sanctions and fines will be applied," Mehmet Shimshek said and added that the list of measures will be supplemented over time.
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May 14, 2024

Turkey ranks second in the world in honey production

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli shared information on honey production in the country on his social media page. Here are the main facts shared by Yumakly: - We are the second largest honey producer in the world- Due to its geographical location and biodiversity, Turkey accounts for 75% of the world's honey plant flora- Turkey produces 90% of all pine honey in the world- Since 2003, 1 billion liras have been spent to support beekeeping- In 2023, 115 thousand tons of honey were produced, and the number of hives reached 9.2 million- 29 varieties of honey with geographical indication have been registered in Turkey, and 27 varieties are awaiting registration at the application stage- The provinces producing the largest amount of honey are Ordu, Izmir, Mugla, Mersin and Adana
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May 14, 2024

73 kilograms of gold bars were seized from Israeli citizens at Istanbul airport

The police at Istanbul airport suspected two Israeli citizens flying from Dubai and decided to check the baby carriage in which the passengers were carrying the child. During the inspection, it was found that bags were hidden under the baby carriage. Opening the bags, the police found 73 gold bars weighing 1 kilogram each, which were intended for smuggling to Turkey. The gold was seized by the police, M.K. and A.K. were detained by the police. While A.K. was released by the judicial authorities on condition of judicial control, another passenger M.K. was arrested and sent to prison.
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May 14, 2024

There are twins living in Turkey with an age difference of 11 years

Usually, twins are older or younger than each other by just a few minutes. However, in Turkey, the difference between twin sisters was as much as 11 years! The fact is that the mother of the twins gave birth to them 11 years apart with the help of an IVF procedure. In 2013, Muzeyen Ozturk gave birth to a daughter, Eda. After 11 years, the family decided to have a second child. As a result, in February 2024, their daughter Neva, the twin of 11-year-old Food, was born once. Professor Dr. Ebru Ozturk, who conducted the pregnancy of Muzeyen Ozturk, commented on the birth of Neva: "In 2011, our patient had the right to transfer two embryos, but we planned the transfer of one embryo because the couple did not want twins. Thus, the second embryo was planted only in 2023. And now we can see both twin sisters together."
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May 14, 2024

Rescue drones "Cankuş" will operate on the beaches of Antalya

The coordinator of the search and rescue group, Erdogan Budak, spoke about the work of rescue drones on the beaches of Antalya: "It takes an average of 1.5-2 minutes for a rescuer to reach a drowning person. With the help of a drone, we can get to the scene in just 8-9 seconds, so the chances of rescue are significantly increased." Last year, the work of rescue drones was tested on the beaches of Kemer. This season, drones will be used on other beaches of the Antalya coast. By the way, during the accident on the cable car in Antalya, "Cankuş" drones were also used, which delivered water to people stuck on the cable car and transmitted radio stations to search and rescue teams.
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May 13, 2024

Two Turkish resort towns have been included in the list of the "10 best seaside towns in Europe"

As summer approaches, European newspapers publish lists of the best places to relax. In the Travel section of the British newspaper Guardian, a list of the "10 best seaside cities in Europe" was published. "We have chosen quiet and unspoilt places where you can sunbathe, swim, snorkel or just take a nap," reads the foreword of the Guardian article. In this list, the resort of Akyaka took the second place, and Gelturkbukyu - the third. Both resorts are located in Mugla province: Akyaka - in the Ula district, Gelturkbukyu - in Bodrum. At the same time, the publication compares Gelturkbukyu with the famous Saint-Tropez resort in France, and calls Akyaku the most picturesque "slow" city in Turkey.
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