Fethiye Times pick of the news from the local area and around Turkey.
NEWS
Business sectors disagree over length of Eid al-Adha holiday
Hürriyet Daily News reported this week that Turkey’s different business sectors disagree over how long the Eidal-Adha (“Feast of Sacrifice”) holiday should be. Tourism players want a nine-day-long public holiday, while businesspeople in other sectors argue that nine days would slow down the economy due to a loss in labor force.
The holiday is scheduled from Sunday 11 August to Wednesday 14 August. It is unclear yet whether authorities will declare Thursday 15 and Friday 16 August as holidays, effectively creating a nine-day public holiday, including the two weekends — as they sometimes do.
Tourism players are in favor of such an extension but are admitting that the announcement, made so late, would have a limited impact on the sector. They say that with only a few days left until the holiday, the hotel prices are already quite high, which would significantly bring down the demand.
Figen Erkan, chairman of tourism company JOLLY, said that even if the decision of an extension is belated, it would still benefit the economy.
“As the size of the tourism sector increases, the economy also benefits from this. If the extension to the holiday had been announced earlier, customers could have benefitted from early reservation opportunities and those going to their hometowns could have also created time for the longer holiday. But still, there may be those who wait to make plans until the last minute” he said.
The chairman of Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO), Nurrettin Özdebir, however, said that Turkey “does not need more holidays,” but instead “more production.”
“We are going through a difficult economic period,” he said.
Similarly, the vice chair of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, Zeki Murzioğlu, said that the extension of holidays is costly to employers.
“Workers would want the holiday. Of course, they have a right to go on holiday, but my firm then stops production. I will pay for that nine-day pay premium. I am not picking sides. If holidays are granted, I end up paying the price. Workers would want this but not employers,”
Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Record number of paragliding flights in the first half of 2019
The number of paragliding flights from the Babadağ Air Sports and Recreation Center increased by 18 percent in the first half of this year.
Fethiye Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FTSO) President Osman Cirali, said in a statement, “Babadağ is one of the foremost paragliding centres in the world. In the first six months of 2019 there were 53,900 flights, an 18 percent increase on the 45,575 flights in the same period last year. The total number of flights this year is expected to exceed 200,000 against 162,776 in 2018.”
Cirali went on to say “We are also reaching the final stages of the Babadağ Cable Car project which will be put into service in 2020. The cable car will host approximately one million people every year”
Source: Haber 48
Biggest theme park in the Aegean Region to open in Fethiye in 2020
The region’s biggest Water World theme park is set to open in Fethiye next year.
In a statement to the press on Saturday, Orka Group Chairman Turgut Torunoğulları announced that the opening of the theme park is scheduled for 2020 and will incorporate two small hotels and hundreds of villas around the park.
He said “Tourism is an important revenue in Turkey. We need to continue to invest in Turkey to attract young people from Europe as statistics show they are going to other countries.”
Torunoğulları went on to say that this is just the beginning and they plan to expand this project throughout Turkey.
Source: TIMETURK
Half a million people migrated to Turkey in 2018
Turkey saw its immigration rate increase by 23.8 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, according to data issued by the Turkish Statistical Institute, with Istanbul leading as the host with approximately 202.000 newcomers
TurkStat data shows that the latest number included 466,890 foreign nationals and 110,567 Turkish citizens, who returned to their country after living abroad.
Of the 577,457, around 52.7 percent are male and 47.3 percent female.
Among foreign immigrants, Iraqis once again ranked first, with 23.6 percent followed by Afghans and Syrians, 9.6 percent and 8.4 percent, respectively. “In 2018, 11.9 percent of the immigrants who arrived in Turkey were between the ages of 25 and 29. Another 11.5 percent were between 20 and 24 and 10.3 percent were between 30 and 34,” TurkStat added.
Istanbul was identified as the preferred destination for most immigrants, with 202,000 people moving into the metropolis. Capital Ankara had become the destination of 71,337 people, followed by the Mediterranean city of Antalya, with 36,674 immigrants arriving in the city in 2018.
Meanwhile, 323,918 people left Turkey for foreign countries, with a 27.7 percent increase over the previous year. Around 53.3 percent of them were male and 46.7 percent female. Iraqis topped this list too with 20.6 percent, followed by Azerbaijanis with 7.4 percent, Uzbekistanis at 7 percent, Turkmenistan nationals at 5.4 percent and Iranians with 4.9 percent.
Turkey also hosts the highest number of refugees – nearly 4 million – in the world, according to official figures. The number of Syrian refugees living in the country was 3.63 million as of July.
Source: Daily Sabah
Turkish central bank slashes interest rates
Turkey’s central bank slashed its benchmark interest rate on Thursday, marking a shift in direction after the sacking of its former governor.
The bank’s policy rate — also known as one-week repo rate* — fell to 19.75%, a steep down from 24% — the biggest rate cut since the bank shifted to a policy of inflation targeting in 2002.
*Repo rate is the rate at which the central bank of a country lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds. Repo rate is used by monetary authorities to control inflation.
“Recently released data indicate a moderate recovery in the economic activity,” the CBRT said.
The decision came in a statement from the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting — the fifth of eight meetings scheduled for 2019.
“Goods and services exports continue to display an upward trend despite the weakening in the global economic outlook, indicating improved competitiveness.
“In particular, strong tourism revenues support the economic activity through direct and indirect channel,” the bank said.
Sources: Financial Times/aa.com.tr
SPORT
Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the sport updates
Fethiyespor continue to sign up transfers for the 2019/2020 season.
Fethiyespor signed a 2-year contract with Emre Akbulut from Etimesgut Belediyespor.
Fethiyespor signed a three-year contract with Erkan Kapar, a right-back who previously played for the team for four years before transferring to Bursaspor Academy.
The club also signed a two-year contract with Aykut Sarıdoğan, a 23 year-old midfielder from Nazilli Belediyespor.
In other Fethiyespor news, Club Manager Mustafa Ceviz signed a new three-year contract and Kamil Özgen , a former football player, was appointed as the General Coordinator.
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Club Manager Mustafa Ceviz ![]()
General Coordinator Kamil Özgen
For more information about Fethiyespor please visit Fethiyespor Yabancilar on Facebook.
Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates
The British Pound bought 7.02 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 7.06 TL.
The US Dollar bought 5.67 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 5.65 TL.
The Euro bought 6.32 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 6.35 TL.
ISource: FxexchangeRate.com
Weather Forecast
Here’s your weather forecast for the week ahead.
Source: Living Earth
The post Fethiye Times News – Week Ending 27 July 2019 appeared first on Fethiye Times.