Author: Daily Sabah

Turkish Süper Lig heavyweights Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş took the European stage on Thursday, delivering a trio of contrasting outcomes – a win, a draw and a loss – rounding out a mixed bag of results. The Yellow Canaries brought back pride with their resilience in their UEFA Europa League, overturning an early deficit to triumph 2-1 against Slavia Prague. The win elevated their points tally to eight, keeping them firmly in contention for the knockout rounds. Slavia Prague struck early, with striker Tomas Chory capitalizing on defensive lapses to fire the hosts ahead in the seventh minute. But Jose…

Prisoners in Türkiye could begin doing community service as authorities mull ways of rehabilitation with a new penal law amid recent debates of a blanket amnesty. Instead of a full pardon, officials of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) are pondering a new regulation that would employ prisoners determined to be of good conduct in public institutions after serving a certain portion of their sentence. In the current practice, convicts can benefit from the rights of probation, open prison or conditional release during periods of good behavior. The planned changes would provide inmates upon release the opportunity to…

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said there would be no regional or global peace without ensuring peace in Gaza. Speaking at a joint news conference with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Erdoğan highlighted the importance of reaching a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been carrying out indiscriminate attacks that devastated the civilian infrastructure of the besieged Palestinian enclave and killed over 44,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Welcoming the cease-fire in Lebanon, Erdoğan said there should also be a cease-fire in Gaza and that Türkiye will do whatever is necessary to facilitate peace in Palestine. Erdoğan also said…

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is scheduled to hold its first provincial congress on Saturday. The party’s chairperson, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is expected to attend the congress in Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the February 2023 earthquakes. Erdoğan will also attend a ceremony to hand over new residences for victims of the earthquakes who lost their homes in the “disaster of the century” for the country. Erdoğan is expected to join other provincial congresses in Malatya and Adıyaman, two other provinces that were affected by the disaster, before the end of 2024. The party launched its district…

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is in hot water for serving the PKK terrorist group’s propaganda on social media. Thunberg, who recently visited the municipality of a southeastern Turkish province run by a political party affiliated with the PKK, released a lengthy social media post on Wednesday that drew rebuke from Turkish social media users. Thunberg, who found praise earlier in the Turkish public for her statements in support of Palestinians against the Israeli aggression, described Diyarbakır, an area she visited, as part of “northern Kurdistan,” a term PKK uses for southeastern Türkiye. Furthermore, the activist accused Türkiye of systematic…

Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan Municipality, governed by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has found itself at the center of controversy after failing to repay a TL 4 million debt ($115,438) to Yılmaz Kurt, the owner of a printing company. Instead of a cash settlement, the municipality offered Kurt a cemetery plot as collateral. Kurt, who had performed printing services for the municipality, expressed his shock and frustration after discovering that the land offered to him was part of a cemetery. “What am I supposed to do with a cemetery?” Kurt said, unable to comprehend the situation. The dispute began after…

Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan Municipality, governed by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has found itself at the center of controversy after failing to repay a TL 4 million debt ($115,438) to Yılmaz Kurt, the owner of a printing company. Instead of a cash settlement, the municipality offered Kurt a cemetery plot as collateral. Kurt, who had performed printing services for the municipality, expressed his shock and frustration after discovering that the land offered to him was part of a cemetery. “What am I supposed to do with a cemetery?” Kurt said, unable to comprehend the situation. The dispute began after…

Fenerbahçe step into Thursday’s Europa League showdown against Slavia Prague with a one-point edge in the standings, but their margin for error is razor-thin. Both teams, hovering just inside the playoff zone midway through the league phase, are desperate to rebound from recent setbacks. The Istanbul giants endured a frustrating 2-1 defeat to AZ Alkmaar in their last Europa outing, snapping a 10-game unbeaten streak in the competition’s group stage. Despite Youssef En-Nesyri’s second-half strike that briefly pulled them level, defensive lapses proved costly. However, buoyed by a formidable domestic run, including 10 goals scored across their last two Turkish…

Türkiye welcomes the truce deal between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and is prepared to make every contribution to stop the bloodshed and achieve a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, as well, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday. “We’re facing a historic responsibility as wars rage on in our region,” Erdoğan told lawmakers of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) at a parliamentary meeting in the capital, Ankara. “Türkiye expects all sides, especially Israel, to fulfill their responsibilities in order to maintain calm on the ground,” Erdoğan said of the cease-fire in Lebanon. A cease-fire between Israel and…

World and European champion wrestler Nesrin Baş, currently training at Turkey’s Olympic Preparation Center (TOHM) in Edirne, has her eyes firmly set on a gold medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. At just 22 years old, Baş’s journey to elite wrestling began unexpectedly. While in middle school in Turhal, Tokat was discovered for her potential during a volleyball game by her PE teacher. Today, after a career filled with accolades, she’s pushing forward to achieve her Olympic dreams. Having won 14 medals in major tournaments – two World Championships, three European Championships and one Balkan title – Baş has…