Author: Daily Sabah With IHA

A funeral ceremony was held in Istanbul on Thursday for Chief Rabbi Isak Haleva, who led the Turkish Jewish community for 23 years. Haleva passed away on Jan. 14 in Istanbul at the age of 85. Born in Istanbul, Haleva’s death was announced by the Turkish Chief Rabbinate Foundation on their website. A funeral ceremony was held for Haleva at the Neve Shalom Synagogue in Beyoğlu. The ceremony was attended by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, former Minister for European Union Affairs Egemen Bağış, senior rabbinical officials and many other guests. Jewish religious leaders…

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) signed a cooperation protocol on Jan. 16 in Georgia to support women’s health and increase access to health care services for people with disabilities. The cooperation protocol, signed by TIKA Tbilisi Coordinator Zeynep Bayrak and UNFPA Georgia Country Office Director Mariam Bandzeladze, aims to increase women’s access to cervical cancer screening services and improve reproductive health services in general. Under the protocol, TIKA will provide equipment support to women’s cancer screening centers in Georgia to facilitate access to health care services for disabled women. This support…

Gaziantep carpet makers in southeastern Türkiye have started working to renovate the carpets of the historical Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. After the fall of the Assad regime, as life begins to normalize in Syria, the worn-out carpets of the historical Umayyad Mosque in Damascus will be renovated by carpet makers from Gaziantep. The carpet makers have begun their work on the renovation and have held an initial meeting to accelerate the process. According to the project presented for approval by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the carpets of the Umayyad Mosque will be in burgundy color and made of wool. The…

Primary care centers and healthy life centers have been digitally integrated with hospitals and health care systems, where family doctors can now directly request tests and patients can undergo tests without having to register at a hospital’s outpatient clinic. The results can be viewed directly on the family doctors’ screens. Dr. Cihan Tekin, the director of Erzincan Provincial Health Directorate, stated that the new system will reduce congestion in hospitals and accelerate health care services. The Ministry of Health has completed the digital integration work between primary health care services and secondary and tertiary health care services. As part of…

A resident of Van’s Ipekyolu district in eastern Türkiye, Fatih Binici, has opened his home to help save the Van cat breed from extinction. For the past 12 years, Binici has been working to preserve this unique breed. Previously, he worked for years at the cat house on Kale Road, but after its closure, he took the Van cats into his own home. He has been caring for the cats for months and has entrusted their kittens to responsible families. Binici has also set up a container in his garden for stray cats, providing them with shelter. Highlighting his role…

Algae removal efforts are in full swing at Lake Eğirdir in Türkiye’s Mediterranean region to prevent algae blooms and pollution. A team of 90 people is working to improve water quality and protect the ecosystem. So far, 600 bags of algae have been collected using special machines and properly disposed of. As Türkiye’s fourth-largest lake, Lake Eğirdir will continue these cleaning efforts into 2025 to combat algae blooms and biological pollution. Algae and aquatic plants causing unpleasant smells and appearances on the lake’s surface are being collected and disposed of with specialized equipment. Within the framework of the nine-point action…

In eastern Türkiye, Malatya is undergoing significant reconstruction efforts to become a modern, earthquake-resistant, comfortable city. Governor Seddar Yavuz recently shared updates on the rebuilding process, emphasizing the importance of projects coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Malatya was severely affected by the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that struck on Feb. 6, 2023. Since then, efforts to rebuild residential and commercial structures have been ongoing with no interruptions. Governor Yavuz highlighted the support of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and government ministers in the city’s efforts to rebuild in a safe and modern manner. The rebuilding efforts involve over…

Balikesir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Akın announced the renewal of contracts with Olympic medalists Yasemin Adar Yiğit and Esra Yıldız Kahraman, alongside the addition of taekwondo champion Nafia Kuş Aydın to the team. With these signings, Balıkesir will become the only municipality and sports club in Türkiye with Olympic medalists across three different sports. The signing ceremony, held at the Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Main Service Building, was attended by Akın, the athletes and key sports officials, including Youth Sports Services Department head Uğur Baysal and Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club President Burç Özoğuz. Akın expressed immense pride in the new…

Residents of the Orhanlı neighborhood in Tuzla, Istanbul, are facing a growing environmental and public health threat as piles of construction debris have remained unaddressed for months. The accumulation of rubble, combined with stagnant water, has raised concerns about the spread of infections and the overall safety of the area. Despite the worsening situation, Tuzla Municipality has not taken action, leaving residents to call for urgent intervention. The debris piles, which have accumulated in various parts of the neighborhood, create breeding grounds for pests, particularly mosquitoes. The stagnant water, which increases in size during rainy weather, exacerbates the problem by…

Fenerbahçe entered 2024 under Ismail Kartal, hoping to build on their 2023 Turkish Cup triumph. However, despite their strong form in the league, the storied club fell short of adding silverware to their cabinet, with heartbreak in domestic and European competitions marking a turbulent year. Elusive league glory The Yellow Canaries dazzled fans with their attacking football throughout the 2023-24 Süper Lig season, amassing an impressive 99 points. Yet, it wasn’t enough to dethrone their archrivals Galatasaray, who clinched the title with a record-breaking 102 points. Despite their runner-up finish, Fenerbahçe’s spirited performances kept them in the spotlight, even if…