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The annual World Happiness Report for 2024 has been published, which shows the satisfaction of citizens with life in a particular country. According to the report, Turkey took 98th place in the ranking according to the so-called "happiness index", which is 8 points higher than last year, when the country was in 106th place.The happiest citizens, as last year, live in Finland. Finland is followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Australia. The report analyzes six key variables that help explain the assessment of life: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and perception of corruption.

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced that by the decision of the President, bridges, tunnels and motorways belonging to the Main Directorate of Highways will be free for 9 days (starting tomorrow). Citizens can get information about closed and working roads, weather conditions and other relevant information via the Alo123 or 159 toll-free line, as well as on the KGM website (https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/karayollari-genel-mudurlugu ). The presidential decree on the free use of certain types of public transport in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir in connection with the holiday was published in the Official Gazette. Abdulkadir Uraloglu also said that checks on 68.680 kilometers of highways will be strengthened during the holiday. The head of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality also informed about the special working conditions of transport on holidays. Buses of the metropolitan municipality with official (black) license plates, the Antray light rail network and the Nostalji Tramvayı tram line will transport citizens free of charge during the holidays on April 10, 11 and 12.

According to the Association of Automotive Distributors and Mobility (ODMD), 14,158 electric cars were sold in Turkey in the first quarter of 2024, which is 275.9% more than in the same period last year. Thus, the market share of electric vehicles increased to 6.1%. It is expected that 120,000 electric vehicles will be sold in Turkey this year. The Turkish passenger and light commercial vehicle market grew by 25.2% to 295,519 units. Gasoline cars take the first place - 156.396 units, hybrid cars take the second place - 33.131 units. Sales of diesel cars amounted to 25.268 units of gas cars - 2.038.

Osman Taryk Ozchelik officially assumed the post of mayor of the city today, having received a certificate of election the day before. "Together with our professional and honest team, we will fulfill the promises made to our citizens," Ozcelik said at the solemn ceremony of the transfer of power. Osman Taryk Ozchelik: Born on 11/01/1962, was born in Alanya. Married, father of two children. He has a higher education in chemical engineering, which he received at Hacettepe University in Ankara. Ozchelik isHe is the head of the Öz elik Group holding and ranks 137th in the ranking of the richest people in Turkey. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Aladdin Keykubat State University in Alanya. On March 31, Ozcelik won the election as a candidate for the post of mayor from the Republican People's Party (Turk.SNR).

Turkish Airlines, an airline that flies to more countries than any other, has officially become the first airline in the world to create a special passport for pets - "PAWSPORT". The program was a response to the growing demand for traveling with pets. The pilot copy of the PAWSPORT will be released in a limited edition. To be one of the first to issue a document to their pet, passengers can send a direct message with the text "Pet Passport" to the Turkish Airlines address on Instagram @TurkishAirlines. Using PAWSPORT will reduce bureaucratic procedures when flying with pets, increasing their comfort and safety. Once again, the company confirms its leading position in providing advanced innovative solutions for its passengers.

171 athletes from five continents and 30 countries are taking part in the sixth international cycling tour in Mersin. The 4-day competition consists of four stages of varying lengths. Athletes will get acquainted with the historical, natural and cultural beauties of Mersin by cycling from Anamur to Tarsus. At the end of the competition, the winners will receive a total of 19 thousand euros. Mayor of Mersin Vahap Secher: "The beauty of sports is that people fight together for a common goal, regardless of language, religion and nationality. Sport means peace, brotherhood and tranquility. Such events as the Children's Marathon, the Mersin Mountain Run, the International Cilician Ultramarathon, the Pro Beach Tour, the Tarsus Cleopatra Bicycle Tour, the Tarsus International Half Marathon are already planned for 2024 in Mersin, and every day there will be more and more such events in our city."

According to the TÜIK State Institute of Statistics, inflation in Turkey increased by 3.16% in March and amounted to 68.5% in annual terms. However, the independent organization ENAG, which tracks inflation in Turkey, reports annual inflation of 124.63%.Finance Minister Mehmet Shimshek noted the impact of tight monetary policy on curbing inflation and recalled that by the end of 2024, the Turkish Central Bank predicts a decrease in inflation to 36%.

The world of chess is talking about the 12-year-old Turkish schoolboy Yagiz Kaan Erdogan. He became one of the four youngest grandmasters in the world in the history of chess games! Yagyz, who participates in the Grande Open chess tournament, received the title of grandmaster from the International Chess Federation and inscribed his name among those who bear the title of "The youngest Grandmaster in the world". Yagyz Kaan Erdogan became the fourth youngest person to achieve this title in the history of chess. In addition, at the age of 11, Erdogan received the title of "The youngest International Master of the World (International Master -IM)".

An ancient sarcophagus was discovered in the Yeshilpynar quarter of the Defne district of Hatay city during repair work on laying an electric cable. The situation was reported to the gendarmerie teams, and teams of experts from the Khatai Museum Department were sent to the scene. The valuable find was transported to the Khatai Museum for study and restoration. The figures and other details on the sarcophagus indicate that it has great historical and archaeological significance. This important discovery in Hatay will allow us to take a fresh look at the rich history and cultural heritage of the region.

Suleiman Cetinkaya, the founder of the Artaş Holding construction company, established in 1977, expressed his opinion about the decline in housing sales to foreigners. Artaş Holding has sold and commissioned more than 35 thousand houses to date. "For some reason, there is an opinion in our country that housing sales to foreigners are very high. For some reason, this opinion is constantly on the agenda in some circles, despite the fact that TÜIK (Institute of Statistics of Turkey) regularly and openly provides the public with figures indicating the opposite. Let me remind you that the share of foreigners in the total volume of housing sales in our country last year decreased by half compared to the previous year and amounted to 2.9%. Consider that in 2023 alone, Dubai sold $6-7 billion worth of housing to foreigners. In America, this figure is 70-80 billion dollars. In other countries, including Europe, the percentage of foreign real estate sales is much higher than in our country. Why can't we make such sales? There is a popular point of view that says that foreigners raise housing prices. In fact, their share in total sales is so small that they cannot influence prices in any way. In addition, real estate that foreigners buy is rarely considered for purchase by Turkish citizens - it is, as a rule, a completely different market and, accordingly, different prices." It remains to be hoped that officials will listen to the opinion of professionals and will contribute to creating conditions favorable for foreign citizens to invest in real estate in Tuzria.

The Yalova Bonsai Museum, the first bonsai museum in Turkey and the largest bonsai museum in Europe, was opened with the participation of Kenichi Kasahara, Consul General of Japan in Istanbul. The project started back in 2020, when the first steps were taken in the implementation of the museum project and a technical trip abroad was organized. "The Yalova Bonsai Museum opened today, which is the first bonsai museum in Turkey and the largest bonsai museum in Europe. I would like to thank all the people and institutions who provided support, all my colleagues who worked hard, and our distinguished guests who came to the opening of our museum," said Hassan Soyguzel, Chairman of the Provincial General Assembly and a member of the museum's board. 200 bonsai trees of various sizes and shapes are on display in the museum, which has an indoor area of 200 m2 and an outdoor exhibition area of 1500 m2. Tags with the number of the work, the type of wood, the age of the tree and the names of the bonsai masters who own the works are attached next to the trees.

The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) has made changes to the limits of operations of the Fast Financial Transfer System (FAST). Starting tomorrow, it will be possible to send 100,000 liras in a single transaction in the FAST system (previously, it was possible to send 50,000 liras as much as possible). In transactions carried out using the FAST-TR QR code, the maximum transfer amount has been increased to 250 thousand liras.