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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%

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.

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.

In Ankara, the Executive Committee of Turkey s Defense Industry met under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The meeting, which lasted about 2.5 hours, discussed current achievements and future goals of the defense industry. The key project was Steel Dome , developed for integration of multi-level air defense systems using artificial intelligence. This system will allow the creation of a common aerial image, its transmission to operational centres in real time and the provision of information to decision makers. The following projects were also discussed: - Development of air defence systems and missile systems- Introduction of the national fighter KAAN- Purchase and development of unmanned aerial vehicles Bayraktar TB3, AKINCI and AKSUNGUR- Creation of unmanned aerial and naval vehicles, including swarm and kamikaze- Space Capabilities Enhancement- Improved situational awareness systems on land, in the air and at sea- Development of radio electronic warfare- Tank and fighter modernization- Development of aircraft and marine engines. The meeting resulted in the adoption of a project "Movement of national competences in the defense industry", aimed at developing competencies for creating technologically advanced products and systems. Turkey continues to strengthen its defense industry, ensuring national security and technological superiority.

Turkey is moving towards its goal of becoming an energy-independent country, and therefore pays special attention to its "energy fleet". At present, the country owns two seismic exploration and four drilling vessels. Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha The first Turkish seismic reconnaissance vessel, the Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha, was commissioned in late 2012. The vessel weighs 4,711 tons, is 84 metres long and 21.6 metres wide, has a helipad and satellite link for automatic direction and location. It is capable of studying geological structures at depths up to 8 km underwater and collecting two- and three-dimensional seismic data. MTA Oru Reis

The decision to amend the decision on the application of certain articles of the Customs Law has changed the rates of the one-time tax on goods imported from abroad. The following statements were made in the decision on Customs Law 4458, published in the "Official Gazette" and signed by the President: - the limit for non-taxed goods ordered by a person by post or fast freight is now 30 euros for all groups of goods and 1,500 euros for pharmaceutical products. - Customs duty for goods from EU countries increased from 18% to 30%- Customs duty for goods from all other EU countries increased from 30% to 60%- An additional duty of 20% will be levied on the goods included in the list (IV) annexed to the law on the special consumption tax of 6/6/2002 and under number 4760 (luxury items, caviar, fur etc.).

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that the Tshemali-Erdemli-Silifke-Tashudzha highway project, which will connect the areas of Mersin, is still in intensive operation. The Minister visited a construction site in the Erdemli district where work is being carried out on the Českami-Kyzkalesi section - the first phase of the project. Accompanied by Governor Ali Hamza Pehliwan and Director-General of Highways Akhmet Gulshen Urologlu was briefed on the progress achieved. The road construction site is occupied by 1,330 people and 204 units of construction equipment. In the near future, it is planned to increase the number of machines to 500 and the number of workers - to 3 thousand people. Uraloglu: "The project is a total of 53 kilometers of road: 42 kilometers of main road and 11 kilometers of adjacent roads. We hope that with this project we will solve the problem of the section to Kyzkalesi, where the traffic is currently most congested. When it s finished, we can get through the 2.5-hour traffic jams in 18 to 20 minutes. This is an important project that will contribute to the development of our region and Mersin in general".

The new airport in Istanbul has been named the best in the world by Global Traveler magazine. In a poll conducted among readers of this American edition, Istanbul Airport took the leading positions in five categories: "Best Airport in the World", "Best Airport in Europe", "Best airport for food and beverages", "Best shopping at the airport" and "Best airport in Europe s Duty Free experience". Around 500,000 readers of Global Traveler rate travel services, hotels, airlines and cruises every month based on their own personal experience. The average reader of the magazine makes 18 domestic flights a year, 96% of them regularly go abroad, and more than 80% stop at 4- and 5-star hotels at least 80 days a year. Every year, Global Traveler conducts research in the field of tourism, identifying the best in different categories. Audience surveys help identify leaders among travel services, routes, hotels, air carriers, airports and cruises. Istanbul airport continues to increase passenger traffic. In 2023, the number of passengers reached 76 million, an 18% increase compared to the previous year. Since the opening of the airport, which cost $12.5 billion to build, its capacity has reached 90 million people per year. G kkhan Shengyul, director of the new Istanbul airport, said that these awards reflect the company s desire to create comfortable conditions for passengers from all over the world. " The recognition in five nominations attests to the dedication, hard work and professionalism of each employee of our airport," he said.

On the application of the Federation of Turkish Handball Alanya got the right to hold the European Championship in beach handball among women and men, The European Beach Handball Championship for girls and boys under 17. According to the decision taken on 19 July by the Executive Committee of the European Handball Federation (EHF), the women s and men s EHF Beach Handball Championships EURO 2025 will be held in Alanya 8-July 13, 2025, and EHF U17 in the beach handball EURO 2025 - 3-6 July 2025. At the championship, which will be the biggest and most comprehensive ever held in Turkey, a total of 64 teams from 19 European countries and more than 1,000 handball players will compete for the medals within two weeks.

In Istanbul, an ambitious project - the Great Istanbul Underwater Tunnel is being prepared for implementation. It will be the world s first three-story underwater tunnel that will connect the European and Asian parts of the city. Design features The tunnel, 6.5 km long, will pass at a depth of 110 m below sea level. It will consist of three levels: two for road traffic and one for rail transport. So the tunnel can simultaneously serve both cars and subway trains. Major plans

Trade Minister Omer Bolat announced that on September 15, new rules will come into effect in the field of real estate sales, regulating the rules for advertising the sale of certain objects. The property owner will have to register the property for sale in e-devlet system and there also choose a realtor (real estate agency)who will act as a broker in the real estate deal. Only after passing this procedure the realtor or the real estate owner will be able to advertise the property on various sites. "Thus, none of the advertisements will be aimed at deceiving the consumer. In the near future, a similar work scheme will be implemented in the field of car sales", added Omer Bolat.

Duo Yusuf Dicek - Shevval Ileida Tarhan, who won the silver medal in the mixed team category of shooting with a 10-meter air pistol at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, He has written his name into the history of Turkish sport. During the shooting, 51-year-old Senior Sergeant of the Gendarmerie Yusuf Dicek did not use any additional equipment (headphones or special glasses) as other gunners usually do. He just fired, putting his left hand in his pocket. His unusual shooting style attracted the attention of the audience and instantly made him popular on social media. Users compared it to characters from computer games and movies, and many world celebrities commented on the athlete s victory post, including Ilona Mask who left a comment "Good!". Yusuf Dicek: "I ve never used any equipment. When we went to the competitions, the judges sometimes asked about the equipment, and I said, "I don t have it. I m just a born shooter!" and they laughed, of course."