The Palandöken Ski Center in Erzurum Province, northeastern Turkey, broke a record in the number of visitors using the cable car during the recently ended ski season, with more than two million people registering.

Selim Bagri Yang, general manager of Ejder 3200, one of the companies affiliated with the Erzurum municipality, said that the ski season at the center began last November and ended on April 15.

He pointed out that large amounts of snow have fallen this season, noting the great demand for skiing after breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadan and during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

He explained that the center broke a record in the number of cable car users during the ski season, with more than two million passengers.

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10,564 tourists visited the ancient “Sümela Monastery” in the state of Trabzon, northeastern Turkey, during the days of Eid al-Fitr.

The monastery is located on the slope of the Altin Dara Valley in the Karadag Mountain in the Machka region, and is included in the Tentative List of World Cultural Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Heritage Organization (UNESCO).

The monastery, also known as the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, is carved into the rocks at an altitude of 300 meters and blends nature with history and culture.

According to data from officials of the Culture and Tourism Directorate in Trabzon, the total number of tourists who visited the Sümela Monastery during the holiday reached 10,564 people from Turkey and other countries.

Shula Keskin said that she came to visit Trabzon from the state of Erzurum in northeastern Turkey, and that the “Sümela Monastery” impressed her very much.

In turn, Recep Çakir said that he came from the state of Istanbul in northwestern Turkey, calling on everyone to visit the “Sümela Monastery” and see the historical fabric of the region.

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The head of the Justice and Development Party, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced the names of the party’s candidates for the presidency of 26 municipalities in Turkey in the local elections expected on March 31, 2024.

This came at the conference announcing the party’s candidates on Sunday at the Gulf Convention Center in Istanbul, with the participation of President Erdogan.

During the conference, the Turkish President revealed the names of 11 candidates for mayor of the following major cities: Istanbul, Aydin, Balikesir, Bursa, Denizli, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Kocaeli, Mugla, Ordu, and Samsun.

The names of 15 candidates for the mayors of Artvin, Bingöl, Bitlis, Çanakkale, Canakiri, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Giresun, Sparta, Kastamonu, Rize, Sinop, Tokat and Yalova were also announced.

The Turkish President is expected to announce the names of the candidates for the remaining states (a total of 81 states in Turkey) within the next few days.

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The Palandöken Ski Resort in Erzurum Province, eastern Turkey, has completed its preparations to receive local and foreign tourists in the new season.

Palandöken is considered one of the most important winter tourism centers in Turkey, and it is only about 20 km from Erzurum Airport and about 4 km from the city center, which includes many historical monuments dating back to the Seljuk era.

The resort is now ready to host local and foreign skiing enthusiasts after paving its trails and renewing its equipment.

The Palandöken Resort is easily accessible and offers the opportunity to practice many winter sports thanks to its long trails, infrastructure and technology. It also provides comfortable accommodation for its visitors in 5-star hotels due to its proximity to the city center.

The resort includes many ski trails suitable for all levels, an ice wall for climbing enthusiasts, in addition to a snow park, a giant swing, and a zipline, in addition to the possibility of paragliding, canoeing over the snow, and other activities.

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Balan Dukan Ski Center in Erzurum continues to receive tourists in April.

The Balan Dukan Center is considered one of the international centers that welcomes amateurs and professionals of skiing, thanks to the quality of the snow on its slopes, which conforms to international standards.

The ski season started this winter in Turkey from the Balan Dukan Center last December.

The head of the northeastern Anatolia region in the Federation of Turkish Tourism Agencies, Noah Şenol, indicated that there are many tourism activities in the Balan Dukan Center, in addition to skiing.

He said, “Despite the snowfall early this year, and the snow level in the Balan Dukan center remained good even in April, the tourist season this year was not at the required level due to the earthquake that the country was exposed to.”

He explained that many reservations were canceled at the Balan Dukan Center after the earthquake.

Bora Kanber, director of a hotel in the Balan Dukan area, said that the recent days witnessed heavy snowfall, and the ski tracks will continue to receive tourists until the end of April.

Turkish tourist Perihan Alipol said: “Watching the snow in April is a joy for me. The atmosphere in Balan Dukan is wonderful.”

The Palandukan Center, located in the state of Erzurum (east), includes 65 ski tracks, ranging in length from 1.1 to 14 kilometers, with varying degrees of difficulty.

The center is located 20 km from the airport and only 4 km from the city center. It is easily accessible and offers its visitors the opportunity to practice many exciting sports and games such as skateboarding, climbing the ice wall, snow park, paragliding and night skiing.

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With the snowfall in the state of Erzurum, northeastern Turkey, with a thickness of 80 centimeters, tourists began to flock to the “Blandukan” ski center.

The center is located 20 km from Erzurum Airport and 4 km from the state center, hosts international winter sports events and is among the favorite destinations for ski lovers and winter vacationers.

The center opened for the current season on December 15, and due to the delay in snowfall, it resorted to a system of artificial snow production, in addition to using natural snow stored to fill the ski tracks.

The center provides its visitors with the opportunity to practice many exciting sports and games, such as skateboarding, climbing the ice wall, free sliding, and the human slingshot, in addition to the snow park and night skiing.

The center is characterized by ease of movement, comfortable accommodation, picturesque nature, and has technical infrastructure, five-star hotels, bungalows (wooden) and long ski tracks according to international standards.

The snow was delayed during the current season, but it recently fell heavily, with a thickness of more than 80 centimeters, and the resort turned into a major destination for ski lovers.

The head of the northeastern Anatolia region in the Union of Turkish Tourism Agencies, Noah Shnol, expressed his happiness at the snowfall in the region.

He said that “Plandukan” is the first center to open the ski season and the last to conclude it in Turkey, adding that it is equipped with modern facilities and is a favorite for local and foreign tourists.

He explained that the center is witnessing a great turnout in conjunction with the mid-year vacation (from January 23 to February 3, 2023) and heavy snowfall.

And he added, “The start of snowfall made us very happy, and the resort ranked first in Turkey in terms of the thickness of the snow that covers it.”

He added, “All ski tracks are now open, and we offer an opportunity to ski at a distance of about 80 kilometers (tracks).”

“The snowfall indicates that the season will be extended for a longer period, thus providing an opportunity for all ski enthusiasts to practice skiing.”

For his part, Omar Aqsha, manager of a hotel in the region, said that the ski tracks have been open for a month and a half, as skiing activities were carried out using artificial snow in addition to natural ones at times.

He continued, “The snow that started to fall made us very happy, and its thickness in some places approached a meter and a half.”

Akça expressed his hope that hotel reservations will increase further after the recent snowfall.

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The Turkish authorities in the state of Erzurum, in the north-east of the country, deported 227 irregular immigrants of Afghan nationality, after they entered the country illegally.

After undergoing medical examinations, 227 Afghans were transferred to Erzurum Airport, and from there to their country by air.

And according to sources in the Turkish Immigration Department, 4,688 Afghans, 2,196 Pakistanis, and 7,672 other nationalities have been deported from the deportation center in “Ishqala” in Erzurum, since the beginning of January 2022.

A second batch of 363 irregular immigrants of Afghan nationality is scheduled to be deported during the next two days.

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The restaurant “Manzel Azurum” in eastern Turkey takes tourists on a “delicious” journey full of history through its antiques and traditional food.

The restaurant is located in the city of Erzurum, and consists of stone houses and a khan that were opened to each other, becoming a destination for visitors coming to the city.

The restaurant allows local and foreign tourists to learn about and taste traditional cuisine in an atmosphere that simulates the past.

In an interview with him, the director of the facility, Salami Abbas Ogullari, said that the place is a khan and 11 houses that were opened to each other by removing the walls separating them.

He reported that tourists coming to Erzurum for winter tourism come to this facility and taste the local cuisine for which the city is famous.

In turn, Akif Albayrak, who came with his family from Istanbul on a tourist trip, said that they had a good time in this place.

He noted that Erzurum’s homes made them feel like they were on a “journey through time.”

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Balan Dokan, one of the most important ski centers in Turkey, witnesses a large number of tourists on weekends.

The center of “Balan Dokan” is located in the state of Erzurum in eastern Turkey, and contains many hotels and tourist facilities, and is visited by many local and foreign tourists.

One of the most important factors contributing to the high demand for “Plan Dokan” is its location 20 km from Erzurum airport and 4 km from the state center.

Speaking on Saturday, Umar Faruk Uludag, a visitor to the center, expressed his great happiness at visiting the area and enjoying the beauty of the snow scene.

He explained that the “Balan Dukan” center is one of the important destinations for tourists who want to ski, take memorial photos, and spend a fun time on the weekends.

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A 5.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Kiji district of Bingöl, the US Aeronautics and Space Administration (AFAD) announced a 5.2-magnitude earthquake at 21:28 in the Kiğı district of Bingöl.

The earthquake, which occurred at a depth of 15.51 km underground, was felt in neighboring provinces.

Bingöl Governor Kadir Akinci said that no adverse events have been reported so far.

Aftershocks continue in the area, Chatakley said: No negative report, survey work is ongoing for teams.

Deputy Interior Minister Ismail Çatakli posted on his Twitter account, “An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 occurred in Bingöl-Keji at 21:28.

So far, there have been no negative reports from Bingöl, Erzurum, Erzincan, Elazig, and Diyarbakir, and work is continuing, detailed information will be provided separately.”

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