News Scan for Turkey, July 7th 2016

Traffic accidents kill 77 over first 5 days of Eid holiday in Turkey

is year’s Ramadan Bayram holiday is once again turning out to be one that is dominated by deaths on the road, with 77 people killed in collisions across the country in just the first 5 days of the 9-day holiday.

With the government’s decision to declare Monday and Friday off as well in additition to the three-day Ramadan Bayram, or Eid al-Fitr from Tuesday to Thursday, mnay ravellers set off Friday July 1 to get to their destinations.

As of 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, 77 people lost their lives and 221 people were injured in traffic accidents on highways across the country. The biggest accident happened on Sunday when 26 people were killed and 72 were injured in an accident.

http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/2016/07/06/traffic-accidents-kill-77-over-first-5-days-of-eid-holiday-in-turkey

Turkish gov’t to make big shift in regional development policy: Development minister

Turkish Development Minister Lütfi Elvan has said the government will introduce some big changes to its regional development policy, adding the state would introduce problem-free investment zones for companies, as well as new precautions to ensure the 4.5 percent growth target.

“We are changing the regional development concept. The development agencies in 26 regions will slowly depart from their grant programs and will give credits without interest or with zero interest,” Elvan told daily Hürriyet, adding that the reinforcements would not be the same in all areas. “For instance, we will only tend towards livestock in the [northeastern] Kars-Ardahan region. As the central government, we will reinforce the livestock departments in the universities in that region. Such a structure will be formed,” he added.

Elvan said the priority of development agencies would be youth and women, adding they would work for entrepreneurial youth in 26 regions.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-govt-to-make-big-shift-in-regional-development-policy-development-minister.aspx?pageID=238&nID=101294&NewsCatID=344

Turkey’s Yasemin Can wins Women’s 10,000m gold at 2016 European Athletics Championships

On the first day of the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam, long distance runner Yasemin Can of Turkey won gold medal in Women’s 10000m.

Can won gold with 31.12.86, also breaking her personal best with 18 seconds and the under-23 European record for 10m000m which was also set by her. Can tore away from the pack early on and took the 10,000 meter title well ahead of 2nd place Dulce Felix of Portugal. Norwegian Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal came in 3rd to get the bronze with 31:23.45.

Kenyan-born Can took up Turkish citizenship 15 months ago.

http://www.dailysabah.com/sports/2016/07/06/turkeys-yasemin-can-wins-womens-10000m-gold-at-2016-european-athletics-championships

Syrian refugees in Turkey return home for Eid

Thousands of Syrian refugees in Turkey are returning home to Syria to mark the Islamic festival of Eid al Fitr which commences Tuesday.

Turkey temporarily relaxed controls at the Cilvegozu border crossing in its south-eastern province of Hatay last week, allowing Syrians with foreigner cards—those issued to refugees—to pass into northern Aleppo. The border will remain open till 5pm local time on July 5, the start of the three-day holiday. Syrians returning to Turkey are obliged to do so before July 8 or face being barred from the country.

Turkey regularly opens the border to allow Syrians to return home for Eid holidays.

http://www.trtworld.com/mea/syrian-refugees-in-turkey-return-home-for-eid-137288

Turkey’s inflation rate rises more than estimates on hikes in food prices

Turkey’s inflation rate rises more than estimates on hikes in food prices

Turkey’s consumer price index increased over estimates in June, mainly due to a hike in food prices during the holy month of Ramadan.

Official figures from the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜİK) showed on July 4 that the annual inflation rate rose to 7.64 percent in June from 6.58 percent in May.  Turkey’s annual inflation slowed in April to its lowest level since May 2013, as hikes in food prices lost pace.

The monthly inflation rate increased by 0.47 percent in June compared with the previous month, according to TÜİK data. The highest monthly increase was seen in food and non-alcoholic beverages, with a 1.16 percent rise.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-inflation-rate-rises-more-than-estimates-on-hikes-in-food-prices.aspx?pageID=238&nID=101217&NewsCatID=344

This is a news-scan from major Turkish papers and internet sites. However, we do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.

07.07.2016
compiled by Editor BTT