On Sunday, the city of Istanbul hosted the 19th edition of the Half Marathon race, sponsored by the Turkish “Isbank”.

The race was organized in two categories, 21 km and 10 km, with the participation of 14,000 athletes from 72 countries.

68 athletes participated in the elite category race, including 47 male and 21 female competitors from 34 countries.

Moroccan runner Hicham Amghar won the elite race with a time of 59.46 minutes, followed by Ethiopian Dinkalem Ailey with 59.53 minutes, and then his compatriot Gemego Boti with 01.00.02 hours.

In the women’s category, Kenyan runner Shelia Gelangat won first place with a time of 1 hour, 6 minutes and 46 seconds, followed by her compatriot with 01.07.11 hours, and then Ethiopian Zewdito Aderaw with 01.08.16 hours.

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A forum was launched in Istanbul on Saturday, bringing together businessmen and young people passionate about trade and entrepreneurship.

The program is organized by the Turkish YediHilal Association within the framework of its “School of Commerce” project.

The forum began at the Center of the Association of Independent Businessmen and Industrialists “MUSIAD”, and focuses on “export” in this year’s edition, and will conclude its work on Sunday.

In his opening speech, the association’s president, Samad Bajaji, said that they have been working to raise an educated and qualified young generation since 2013.

He stressed the association’s keenness to raise Muslim merchants who “respect what is permissible and what is forbidden and pay attention to zakat.”

In turn, the head of the Commerce School Committee, Muhammad Jabaji, stressed the importance of youth and stated that they are organizing the forum for their sake.

He stressed that trust constitutes the backbone of trade and without it it is not possible to do business at the local and international levels.

He explained that they have been organizing trade school forums since 2018.

He stated that they have met more than two thousand young people to date, 35 of whom have established companies, many of which export and provide job opportunities for many.

The project consists of three stages, the first in the form of sessions under the titles of boldness, patience, gratitude, and business ethics.

The forum organizers divide the young participants into groups in order to listen to their investment ideas.

The winner of the best investment idea will receive a sum of cash.

As for the second stage, participants will undergo distance learning lessons for a period of 6 weeks by professional investors on the basics of investment, digital marketing, financial management, creative thinking, intellectual development, and others.

In the third stage, the project will communicate with the participants who have successfully passed the previous two stages in a guidance framework and to transfer experience to the trainees so that they can establish their own businesses.

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During January and February 2024, about 4.3 million tourists visited Turkey, led by Iranians, Russians, and Bulgarians.

According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 4 million 341 thousand 606 foreigners visited Turkey during last January and February.

Iranians came at the top of the list with 473,905 people, followed by Russians with 433,654, and then Bulgarians with 345,301.

Istanbul topped the states through which tourists entered Turkey, followed by Edirne and then Antalya.

The post Turkey is the preferred destination for neighboring tourists in 2024 appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

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.

The post Turkey.. “Sümela Monastery” hosts thousands of tourists during Eid appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

The Turkish authorities imposed on nationals of 10 countries to obtain an electronic visa to transit airports during their destination to Mexico, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela from Istanbul International Airport.

Turkey is considered a transit country to final destinations, and is among the most active countries in combating irregular migration, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

The Turkish authorities intensified inspections within the framework of international aviation rules due to the increase in the number of migrants heading to North America via Central and Latin American countries, taking advantage of air transportation offers via Istanbul, according to the same sources.

Last March, Turkish Airlines warned travelers to Latin American countries that “some additional controls may be applied in addition to the general rules.”

In this context, Turkish diplomatic sources reported that the Turkish Foreign Ministry has completed the necessary preparations to launch the electronic airport transit (transit) visa.

The transit visa was included in Chapter 24 of Justice, Freedom and Security in the negotiations to join the European Union, and it constitutes one of the criteria within the scope of the negotiations to liberalize entry visas for Turks to the European Union countries.

The sources confirmed that Turkey imposed on citizens of India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad, Somalia, Cameroon, Mauritania and Yemen heading to Mexico, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela via Istanbul Airport the requirement to obtain a transit visa, as of April 15.

The electronic transit visa can be obtained free of charge online from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “evisa.gov.tr” portal starting April 15, 2024.

Travelers must enter their personal information, residence address information and ticket numbers correctly when obtaining the e-visa.

Transit passengers at Istanbul Airport must also carry a printed copy of their transit visas.

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A protest was organized in front of the US Consulate General in the Sariyer district of Istanbul on Sunday, denouncing Washington’s support for the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

The protest, organized by the Gaza Solidarity Platform of the Association for Free Thought and Educational Rights (Ozgür-Der), began after noon prayer.

The protesters raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans and chants against Israel and the United States of America.

In front of the American Consulate, the protesters recited verses from the Holy Quran and expressed their full solidarity with the people of Gaza.

In his speech, Hamza Aar, a member of the Gaza Solidarity Platform, called on the Islamic world to take a united position and express full solidarity with the residents of Gaza.

The ongoing war on Gaza since October 7, 2023 has left tens of thousands of civilian victims, most of them children and women, and a famine that has claimed the lives of children and the elderly, according to Palestinian and international data, which led to Israel being brought before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing “genocide.”

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cast his vote in the local elections that began Sunday morning across the country.

The Turkish President and his wife, Amina, cast their votes in a school in the Uskudar area on the Asian side of Istanbul.

A large number of citizens who came to vote gathered in the school garden to welcome President Erdogan and take memorial photos with him.

In statements to reporters after the vote, Erdogan said: “I believe that there will be a result that will bring good to our country and our people, God willing.”

Erdogan indicated that these elections will be a means to the beginning of a new era in Turkey.

He expressed his hope that the new era would contribute to the launch of the new centenary of the Turkish Republic.

On Sunday morning, Turkish voters began heading to the polls to choose their candidates in the 81 local administration elections for a five-year term.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that his country will not stop until the Palestinians gain their freedom and establish their independent state.

This came during a speech during his participation in a mass gathering of supporters of the “Public Alliance” consisting of the Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement in the Sancaktepe region of Istanbul.

Erdogan stressed that Turkey is making intensified efforts to increase pressure on Israel after the UN Security Council ceasefire resolution in the Gaza Strip.

He added: “We will not stop until the Palestinians gain their freedom, regain their occupied lands, and establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

He pointed out that yesterday, Thursday, Turkey sent an eighth aid ship to Egypt, carrying 125,000 food parcels with a load of 3,000 tons to deliver them to the Gaza Strip.

He pointed out that the unjust government of Israel, which does not recognize the law or sacred things, has been brutally killing brothers in Gaza for nearly 6 months.

President Erdogan pointed out that Turkey has so far sent, via ships and aircraft, more than 40,000 tons of aid to the region.

He stressed that Turkey is doing what is necessary to hold the perpetrators of genocide against children, women, infants and the elderly in Gaza accountable before the law.

He stressed that Turkey, with all its institutions, stands with Palestine, adding: “We are doing everything in our power, what we are able, and what our capabilities allow, and we will continue to do so.”

Erdogan explained that he, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the head of the Intelligence Service, Ibrahim Kalin, the Emergency and Disaster Agency (AFAD), the Red Crescent, endowments, associations, and donors are working and struggling for Palestine and Gaza.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that the implementation of the “Turkey Centenary Vision” in Istanbul will begin with the local elections scheduled for March 31.

This came in a speech he delivered on Sunday to a crowd of supporters of the Public Alliance as part of the election campaign of candidate Murat Kurum for the presidency of the Greater Istanbul Municipality.

The “Turkey Centenary” is a vision announced by President Erdogan in late 2022, which includes the programs and goals of the Turkish Republic in its second centenary.

At the beginning of his speech, Erdogan praised the city of Istanbul and “the greatness of its history and its geographical, cultural and civilizational status on the global level.”

Erdogan called on supporters of the People’s Alliance, which consists of the Justice and Development Party, the Nationalist Movement, and the Grand Union parties, to “work day and night” in order to collect more votes for the coalition’s candidate, Murat Kurum.

He continued, saying: “We must all rid Istanbul of the period of stagnation that lasted 5 years during the opposition’s tenure as mayor of Greater Istanbul. Therefore, we must knock on all doors, win hearts, and convince voters to vote for the candidate who will serve the city.”

Erdogan criticized the current administration of the Istanbul municipality, which is from the opposition Republican People’s Party, stating that it “has not been able to provide tangible services to the city’s residents.”

In this context, he referred to the services provided to the city of Istanbul by the Justice and Development governments under his leadership during the past 21 years.

He added, “In the past 21 years, we have made government investments in Istanbul worth 1 trillion 650 billion liras (the dollar equivalent).”

In this context, Erdogan enumerated the projects implemented by his governments in Istanbul, from health to transportation, education, infrastructure, airports, universities, and social services.

The post Erdogan: We will begin Turkey’s centenary in Istanbul on March 31 appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

The management of Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul announced on Monday the launch of a flight line to Sphinx International Airport in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

The administration added in a statement that flights began mutually between the two international airports as of mid-March.

The statement indicated that flights will be available 5 days a week: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The statement quoted the CEO of the Turkish airport operating company, Serhat Sogukpinar, as saying that the mutual flights aim to connect the two historical cities by air again.

He added that Sphinx International Airport is the fifth destination in Egypt for Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

It is noteworthy that Sabiha Gökçen Airport witnesses other flights to Cairo, Alexandria, Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh airports, in addition to Sphinx International Airport as a fifth destination.

Sphinx International Airport is distinguished by its proximity to the world-famous city of Giza for its pyramids and other historical and archaeological monuments.

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