Author: Daily Sabah With AA

With sails billowing and hearts set on history, the 6th Presidential International Yacht Race launched its Samsun leg from the waters off Istanbul on Thursday, sending crews into a four-day maritime marathon that mirrors the fabled route of the Bandırma Ferry, where Türkiye’s War of Independence first began. Under the patronage of the Presidency and powered by the collaboration of Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, Youth and Sports Ministry, Samsun Governorship, and Metropolitan Municipality—with backing from the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency and title sponsor DHL Express – the prestigious event is organized by the Istanbul Offshore Yacht Racing…

The right to hope, a legal concept that grants parole hearings for people sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, for jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan has not been discussed in meetings with the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said on Wednesday. Tunç mentioned the issue upon a question raised by reporters after the DEM Party brought up the issue following the PKK’s announcement of laying down arms. The dissolution statement of the terrorist group led to questions regarding the fate of Öcalan, who has served life without parole in Imralı, an island prison near Istanbul,…

The Kızılırmak Delta in Samsun, located in the Black Sea region of northern Türkiye, is listed on UNESCO’s Tentative Heritage List and serves as a crucial stop for a bird migration route, hosting hundreds of species each year. The Kızılırmak Delta Bird Sanctuary, with its rich wetlands, is home to 365 bird species identified in observations. Kadir Yılmaz, the responsible officer for the Kızılırmak Delta Wetland Bird Sanctuary of the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the Kızılırmak Delta Bird Sanctuary covers an area of 56,000 hectares, including 80% of the Bafra district, 15% of 19 the Mayıs…

The Kızılırmak Delta in Samsun, located in the Black Sea region of northern Türkiye, is listed on UNESCO’s Tentative Heritage List and serves as a crucial stop for a bird migration route, hosting hundreds of species each year. The Kızılırmak Delta Bird Sanctuary, with its rich wetlands, is home to 365 bird species identified in observations. Kadir Yılmaz, the responsible officer for the Kızılırmak Delta Wetland Bird Sanctuary of the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the Kızılırmak Delta Bird Sanctuary covers an area of 56,000 hectares, including 80% of the Bafra district, 15% of 19 the Mayıs…

The Kızılırmak Delta in Samsun, located in the Black Sea region of northern Türkiye, is listed on UNESCO’s Tentative Heritage List and serves as a crucial stop for a bird migration route, hosting hundreds of species each year. The Kızılırmak Delta Bird Sanctuary, with its rich wetlands, is home to 365 bird species identified in observations. Kadir Yılmaz, the responsible officer for the Kızılırmak Delta Wetland Bird Sanctuary of the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the Kızılırmak Delta Bird Sanctuary covers an area of 56,000 hectares, including 80% of the Bafra district, 15% of 19 the Mayıs…

With their eyes locked on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, Türkiye’s modern pentathlon chiefs believe the nation is finally ready to step onto the podium – and into history. Türkiye Modern Pentathlon Federation President Serhat Aydın says the country has transformed from a developing competitor into a serious Olympic contender in modern pentathlon, a demanding five-discipline sport combining fencing, swimming, shooting, running, and the newly introduced obstacle discipline. “We’ve begun to reap the rewards of years of grassroots work,” Aydın told Anadolu Agency (AA). “Now, it’s time to raise the Turkish flag on the Olympic stage.” Building from the…

Under the coordination of the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, the Turkish Day Parade and a series of cultural events will be held in New York City on May 16-17. First organized in 1981 in reaction to the assassination of Turkish diplomats by the Armenian terrorist organization ASALA, the Turkish Day Parade has since become a traditional annual event. This year marks its 42nd edition. The parade aims to strengthen not only unity and solidarity among the Turkish-American community but also their economic and cultural ties. The program will begin on Friday, May 16, with a flag-raising ceremony at Bowling Green…

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has released its annual “Statistics on Families 2024” bulletin, revealing ongoing demographic shifts in household structures across Türkiye, including smaller average household sizes, regional differences in family types and trends in marriage and child custody. According to data from the Address-Based Population Registration System (ADNKS), the average household size in Türkiye has declined steadily over the past decade and a half, falling from 4 persons in 2008 to 3.11 in 2024. This trend reflects broader societal changes, including urbanization, economic factors, and evolving lifestyles. The southeastern province of Şırnak recorded the highest average household size…

Israel is concerned about a potential U.S. delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye since it would add an advantage to Ankara regionally, a representative of Israeli Army Radio reported.Doron Kadosh, a military correspondent for the radio network, wrote on social media that the U.S. might deliver the jets. He added that Türkiye and Israel are increasingly becoming strategic rivals in the region. In 2019, during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term, the U.S. suspended Türkiye from the F-35 program after objecting to its buying a Russian S-400 missile defense system, claiming the Russian system would endanger the fighter jets.Türkiye…

Şanlıurfa recorded the highest total fertility rate in Türkiye in 2024, with 3.28 children per woman, according to newly released birth statistics from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). The southeastern province was followed by Şırnak with a fertility rate 2.62 and Mardin with 2.32. At the opposite end of the scale, Bartın and Eskişehir had the lowest fertility rates, each at 1.12, followed by Zonguldak and Ankara at 1.15 and Izmir at 1.17. Türkiye’s overall fertility rate has remained below the population replacement level of 2.10 since 2017. While 57 provinces were under this level in 2017, the number climbed…