Author: Daily Sabah With AA

The baby gorilla caught at Istanbul Airport and undergoing rehabilitation has been named “Zeytin,” which means “Olive” in English, after a social media campaign launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The gorilla, found in a cage-type box on a flight from Nigeria to Bangkok on Dec. 22, is currently undergoing rehabilitation at a zoo in Polonezköy, Istanbul. The critically endangered western gorilla species is being kept under surveillance in a glass-walled room at the zoo. Only caregivers who disinfect their clothing and wear masks are allowed to enter the room. The baby gorilla, once shy and sad upon…

Global climate change is expected to significantly alter Türkiye’s cotton production landscape by the 2050s, with the Marmara and Black Sea coasts becoming more suitable for cotton cultivation, according to Sami Doğanlar from the Faculty of Science at Izmir Institute of Technology (IYTE). Cotton, a crop that thrives in warm climates and takes about five to six months to grow from planting to harvest, is influenced by soil temperature and moisture levels during germination. The impacts of global warming on these factors are likely to reshape cotton production areas, output and yield. Doğanlar emphasized that cotton grows best in warm,…

Muktesh Pardeshi, India’s new ambassador to Ankara, is a fan of Turkish culture and hopes to work on improving more the deep-rooted ties between Türkiye and India. “There are very few countries in the world which can match the civilizational and cultural heritage that Türkiye possesses,” Pardeshi told Anadolu Agency (AA). Pardeshi, who began his tenure in Türkiye in December, shared insights about his life and the bilateral relations between the two nations. “I must understand what’s going on in the country where one is posted,” he said, adding that he dedicates his mornings to reading newspapers and spends his…

Millions of saplings produced in Izmir, in western Türkiye, contribute to the country’s green future. The saplings grown at the Torbalı Forest Nursery Directorate, established in 1959 on a 60-hectare (148.26 acres) area, help reforest burned lands, while tall and shrub ornamental plants beautify reforestation areas, parks and gardens across the country. The nursery produced 4 million saplings of 50 different species last year, and the target for 2025 is to double that number nearly. Haydar Can Kirazlı, the Head of Torbalı Forest Nursery, explained that their efforts are focused on protecting nature and leaving a greener Türkiye for future…

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 71,021 drivers who did not comply with pedestrian safety and priority rules and 3,026 pedestrians who violated rules were penalized in 2024. Minister Yerlikaya stated on his social media account that “In 2024, our traffic teams from the police and gendarmerie carried out 71,021 actions against drivers who did not comply with pedestrian safety/priority rules and 3,026 actions against pedestrians who violated the rules. According to Article 74 of the Highway Traffic Law No. 2918, drivers must slow down when approaching intersections and pedestrian or school crossings that do not have a traffic signal…

Under the coordination of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the 21st “Goodness Train” carrying humanitarian aid materials has arrived in Afghanistan. The “Goodness Train” was welcomed in Herat province by Türkiye’s Herat Consul General Sinan Ilhan, Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) Deputy Secretary General Şükrü Can, Afghan Red Crescent Vice President Şahabettin Dilaver, and many Turkish and Afghan officials. The train brought 4,000 tents, 43,000 blankets, 5,000 family kitchen sets, 10,000 food packages, as well as flour, clothing, hygiene and shelter materials, totaling approximately 730 tons of humanitarian aid, which will be distributed to needy families in various regions…

During the Ottoman period, birdhouses were built into the walls of public buildings to provide nesting spaces for birds. However, today, in the megacity, changes in architecture, the reduction of green spaces and the disappearance of habitats suitable for feeding have been cited as factors negatively impacting sparrow populations. In Istanbul, a decline in the number of sparrows, categorized as of low concern in Türkiye’s conservation status, has been observed. Various action plans are being developed in many European countries to address the declining numbers of sparrows there as well. Ergün Bacak, an ornithologist and lecturer at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Forestry…

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz chaired the inaugural meeting of the Population Policies Board at the Presidential Complex, highlighting the board’s role in shaping Türkiye’s future. Established by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 25, 2024, the board will focus on a wide range of issues, including maternity leave, day care support, birth assistance and flexible working. Yılmaz emphasized that population policies are a strategic concern, not just a demographic goal. The board includes key ministers, officials, and experts, and it may invite additional representatives based on the agenda. “We will create our action plans and roadmap,” Yılmaz explained that policies…

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz chaired the inaugural meeting of the Population Policies Board at the Presidential Complex, highlighting the board’s role in shaping Türkiye’s future. Established by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 25, 2024, the board will focus on a wide range of issues, including maternity leave, day care support, birth assistance and flexible working. Yılmaz emphasized that population policies are a strategic concern, not just a demographic goal. The board includes key ministers, officials, and experts, and it may invite additional representatives based on the agenda. “We will create our action plans and roadmap,” Yılmaz explained that policies…

Tayfun Başdemir, who was previously awarded bronze, silver and gold medals for his blood donations to the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay), received a special plaque for his 200th donation. Speaking at the ceremony held at the Çapa Red Crescent Blood Donation Center, the center’s Director Dr. Hafize Temurok Kütükçüoğlugil, stated that weekly ceremonies are being organized to present medals to blood donors that could not be given during the pandemic. “At today’s ceremony, we are presenting medals to approximately 50 donors. As a nation and society, we are a community that values helping others. I invite every healthy individual to…