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The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced another good news. The "Year of Pensioners" program will provide free umbrellas and sunbeds on public beaches for retirees. The ministry also signed a protocol with the Cinema Investors' Association to grant pensioners 30% discount on all screenings in cinemas. In addition, pensioners over 65 years old can visit municipal swimming pools free of charge. These benefits can be granted to foreign pensioners if they have a WFA and a pension certificate translated into Turkish.

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) announced unemployment data for June 2024. The number of unemployed increased by 234 thousand people compared to the previous month and amounted to 3 million 305 thousand people. The unemployment rate rose by 0.7 points to 9.2%. The unemployment rate is estimated at 7.6% for men and 12.4% for women. The number of people employed decreased by 341 thousand compared to the previous month and amounted to 32 million 522 thousand people, while the employment rate fell by 0.6 points to 49.3%. The rate was 66.9% for men and 32.1% for women. The youth unemployment rate, covering the 15-24 age group, increased by 1.7 points compared to the previous month and stood at 17.6%. The unemployment rate in this age group was 14.8% for men and 23.2% for women. The average actual weekly working hours of employees increased by 0.1 hours compared to the previous month, reaching 44 hours.

After the publication of unemployment data in Turkey in June, Finance and Treasury Minister Mehmet Shimshek commented on the situation: "The rise in the unemployment rate in June is a short-term negative effect of our rebalancing and disinflation program. In June, the monthly current account balance was positive and the annual deficit of $24.8 billion was realized. We expect the annual current account deficit to decline to about 2.2% of national income in the second quarter and below 2% in the third quarter. The quality of the labor market is as important as its quantity. In this context, we are focusing on structural reforms aimed at increasing productivity, strengthening human capital and digital transformation. We therefore expect the unemployment rate to decrease by the end of this year."

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Erlikai has reported that foreigners entering Turkey will now be fingerprinted, as they already do in the US and Great Britain. The Minister also described a number of measures to be taken with regard to Syrian citizens: - The identity cards of those who have temporary protection status (usually Syrian citizens) will now be digital to avoid the possibility of forgery.- Social support and public services will be suspended for those Syrian citizens who do not confirm their addresses in the e-devlet system. The total number of Syrians who must confirm their address is 396,738. Citizens who have not registered within 14 days will be suspended from providing social services and state support. They will be given a final deadline of 60 days to confirm the address of residence, after which, if they do not meet the requirements, they will be officially recognized as illegal. Turkey has 4 million 437 thousand 329 foreigners registered. Of these, 3 million 103 thousand are Syrians. 1 million 109 thousand Syrians have a residence permit, and 224 thousand are under international protection. The annual government expenditure per person is 1,000 euros. In the past year, 132,288 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their country, and in the last five years, the number of voluntary returnees has been 687,706.

The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency has released data on deposits in banks. According to the BRSA (Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency), the list of provinces in Turkey with the largest number of residents in deposit accounts is as follows: 1.Istanbul - 6 trillion 837 billion 457 million 854 thousand liras 2. Ankara - 2 trillion 60 billion 520 million 141 thousand liras 3. Izmir - 848 billion 34 million 420 thousand liras 4. Antalya - 513 billion 842 million 573 thousand liras 5. Bursa - 442 billion 526 million 694 thousand lire . Kojaeli - 319 billion 80 million 233 thousand. liras 7.Adana - 236 billion 144 mln 441 thousand. liras 8. Mugla - 211 billion 376 million 926 thousand lire 9. Konya - 210 billion 878 million 525 thousand lire . Mersin - 209 billion 333 million 536 thousand liras

The President of the Union of Chambers of Trade and Crafts of Antalya (AESOB) and the Vice-President of TESK, Adikhan Dere, drew attention to the problem of shortage of professional workers in the region. Der announced that a series of meetings will be organized on the theme "Why do you need a vocational school" to increase the level of coverage of students and make them interested in receiving vocational education Derye, who met with representatives of the Ministry of Education and school directors, made proposals such as postponement of military service and other benefits for graduates of vocational schools. He also shared the idea of including introductory vocational training courses in the secondary school curriculum. Der stressed that students should be oriented towards working occupations: "This country needs professional workers who will play an important role in the economy of the country as well as doctors, engineers and teachers".

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.

The online publication "OurWorldInData", based at Oxford University (UK), published a ranking of countries with the highest caloric diets. 184 countries were ranked by the number of calories consumed per day. Turkey ranked 5th in the list with 3,762 kilocalories consumed per day. Bahrain, which consumes 4,012 kcal, took first place, and the US, known for its large portions and obesity problem, took second place with 3,868 kcal. By the way, 4 out of 10 adult Bahrainis suffer from obesity, which is linked to sedentary lifestyle and increased consumption of fast food. It was also found that in 173 of the 184 countries surveyed, people consume more than 2,000 kcal per day, which is above the recommended average daily rate for both sexes. Bahrain - 4,012.45 kcalUSA - 3,868.28 kilocaloriesIreland - 3 850.50 kcalBelgium - 3,824.21 kcalTurkey - 3,762.08 kcalAustria - 3,738.94 kcalGermany - 3,647.81 kcalItaly - 3 620.56 kilopulsQatar - 3,609.15 kcalRomania - 3 599.76 kcalFrance - 3,581.54 kcalIsrael - 3,570.94 kcalCanada - 3,569.14 kcalPoland - 3 538.61 kcalAlgeria - 3 519.05 kcalLuxembourg - 3,497.30 kcalPortugal - 3,489.28 kcalNorway - 3,472.52 kilocaloriesMontenegro - 3,468.54 kcalNetherlands - 3,460.48 kcal

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.

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.

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.

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.