British tourists are arriving in Turkey’s southwestern Muğla province since the UK removed Turkey from its COVID-19 travel red list, an official said on Friday.
Starting on Wednesday, Britons can travel to Turkey without compulsory hotel quarantine upon return, a move which eases travel and tourism between the two countries.
Muğla is one of the most preferred holiday centers for British tourists. More than a million British citizens spend their holidays in Muğla’s favorite tourism resorts Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye and surrounding areas every year.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Dalaman Airport official Hamdi Güvenç said Muğla hosts most tourists from the UK, Russia and Ukraine.
“When we look at the pre-pandemic period, an average of 90,000 tourists from the UK visited Turkey in October. We believe that we can reach pre-pandemic numbers again.”
British citizen Peters Steven told Anadolu Agency, “We have been here several times before. With the resumption of flights, we came for a holiday with our child. We love Turkey and longed for Muğla during the pandemic.”
Turkish authorities implement strict measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in planes, airports and hotels to ensure tourists have a healthy and secure holiday.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Biodegradable Waste Management Project comes to Fethiye
According to the data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, it is estimated that 19 million tons of food is wasted annually in Turkey. Fresh fruit and vegetables are some of the most wasted products.
Mardin restaurant owner and chef, Ebru Baybara Demir’s Biodegradable Waste Management Project, From Soil to Soil, makes use of waste products from the marketplaces and transforms them into compost to be added back to improve the soil.
The project is spreading throughout the country and on Tuesday, Ebru was in Fethiye to give a presentation and a practical demonstration at the Tuesday market.
Speaking to Dünya, Ebru explained that they have made great strides with volunteers all over Turkey.
Hundreds of volunteers separate the waste in markets every day and send it to the compost area. The compost is distributed free of charge to the farmers as a soil fertiliser.
Follow the link below to watch a video of Ebru in Fethiye.
Muğla has dropped to fourth place on the list of rainiest provinces in Turkey.
Muğla, which was the province with the second highest rainfall after Rize in the Black Sea, has this year had less than Rize, Giresun and Zonguldak. According to information received from the Meteorology district directorates, there was no precipitation in Fethiye in May, June and August 2021, with only 0.1 kilograms of precipitation per square meter in July.
Ali Tekkaya, Deputy General Manager of MUSKI said in a statement, “There is a 50 percent reduction in our 665 drinking water wells. 34 deep wells are dried up or unusable for different reasons. According to July data, water use increased by 8.77 percent in Muğla. Water is the most important defense in fighting fire disasters and water should be used carefully with no wastage by everyone.”
Source: Gerçek Fethiye
Ankara gets new warning system against pollen allergy
An early warning system against pollen in the air is now available in the Turkish capital Ankara. The system, jointly operated by Ankara University and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, will give hourly warnings for people with a pollen allergy. Ankara is the second city in Turkey with such a system, first introduced in the western province of Izmir in 2019.
Speaking at a ceremony for signing a protocol on the system with Ankara University officials on Thursday, Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said the warning system will be helpful for people with a pollen allergy, which is “seen in one out of every ten people.”
Early warning is crucial with people suffering from allergies and a device measuring the amount of pollen in the air was set up at the complex of the Ankara directorate of Turkish State Meteorological Services (TSMS). The ministry also cooperates with Ankara University for developing algorithms on pollen forecasts. The device will provide data to an app where the public can have access to daily and hourly warnings against onslaught of pollen. The ministry aims to install more such devices in other provinces.
Source: Daily Sabah
Lira hits record lows as rate cut sets Turkey on uncertain path
Turkey’s lira hit an all-time low against the dollar on Friday, a day after the central bank unexpectedly cut interest rates.
The currency, prone to abrupt depreciations and an emerging-markets laggard for several years, closed at a session low of 8.8995 per dollar, compared to its previous record low close of 8.775 in late June and intraday low of 8.88 from early June.
The central bank’s abrupt move on Thursday to ease monetary policy as Erdogan has sought, despite a run-up in inflation, sparked an almost 3% drop in the currency this week. This month’s drop is 6.5% so far.
After a currency crisis in 2018 and a series of smaller selloffs, the lira has shed two-thirds of its value in five years, eating into the earnings of Turks who have also faced double-digit inflation for most of that period.
On Thursday, the lira dove in volatile trading when the central bank slashed its key interest rate by 100 basis points to 18%, despite headline inflation of 19.25% last month, well above a 5% target.
The bank cited core price measurements, which had dipped below 17%, but provided no guidance on policy. Barclays, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs said they expect more rate cuts in coming months.
“This sharp fall in the lira is a clear signal from market participants that the central bank could be making a policy mistake at a time when headline inflation is so high,” said Piotr Matys, senior FX analyst at InTouch Capital Markets.
A new Turkish women’s football league is set to start the 2021-2022 season, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said on Tuesday.
Six clubs – Altay, Atakaş Hatayspor, Çaykur Rizespor, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor – will participate in new top division in the upcoming season.
The federation added that preparations regarding the organization, structure and status of leagues will be completed and announced as soon as possible.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Fethiyespor
Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the Fethiyespor updates
Fethiyespor shirts are now available from Icon Outlet Shop in Fethiye. Prices are 100 TL or 125 TL.
Fethiyespor will play Nevşehir Belediyespor in the 2nd Qualification Round of the Ziraat Turkish Cup. The match will be played away on Tuesday 28th September. The kick-off is at 14:30.
