★ Millions of Turkish citizens will head to the polls Sunday to elect mayors and local administrators for their cities and districts, VOA's Ezel Sahinkaya reports.

  The elections come less than a year after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured his term for another five years last May.

  Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party aims to win back key cities, including Turkey's largest, Istanbul, and its capital, Ankara, which it lost to the main opposition Republican People's Party in 2019 through its alliance with the nationalist Good Party.

  Incumbent Ekrem İmamoğlu is the candidate from the Republican People's Party.

  With the lack of a broader alliance and Kurdish votes, Mr. İmamoğlu faces a tough race against Justice and Development Party's Murat Kurum, as Erdoğan and his cabinet officials are quite active in his campaign.

  Other news outlets had the following on the local Turkish elections:

• CNBC's Natasha Turak: A win for the opposition could set the country in a new direction, presenting a major challenge to the Turkish Pres. Erdoğan and his party's decades-long hold on power.
• She added that Mr. Erdoğan was once a mayor of Istanbul where he rose to prominence in the 1990s, and became a Prime Minister after his party's win in 2002.
•  Analysts at Goldman Sachs think that municipal elections in Istanbul will have a positive impact on the embattled Turkish currency.
• France 24: Deepfakes, censorship, and media pressure are on ahead of Turkey's local elections.
• CNN: Mr. Erdoğan isn't on the ballot, but his presence is felt in the elections.
• Bloomberg: Erdoğan seeks to regain and vanquish his nemesis.
• IntelligentNews: Turkey to decide who will collect garbage in unglamorous local polls.
• Reuters: Bruised and fractured by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's victory in the 2023 general elections, Turkey's opposition aims to land a blow in Sunday's local polls, with the future of its biggest hope, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, tied to the outcome.
• Al Jazeera: fears of artificial intelligence disinformation cast a shadow over Turkish local elections.
• Kathimerini: Turkey's Kurds could sway Istanbul vote in Sunday's local polls

★ According to the daily Duvar, on March 28, in the 10th round of Turkey's Court of Cassation's presidential elections, no candidate achieved the simple majority again.

  Mehmet Akarca, the outgoing president of the court, stepped down after his four-year term expired. The 348 members of the court started voting on March 25.

★ Turks are celebrating the National Library Week between March 25 and 31. On March 27, a report by the daily Milliyet revealed discrepancies in the number of books among university libraries.

  Eight Turkish universities lack less than one book per student in 2023, figures from Turkey's Higher Education Council indicate. The Council has not disclosed the names of the universities.

  The average number of books per student is 6.98, with 33 universities providing ten or more. Eight universities offer more than 20 books. The top three are:

• Istanbul 29 Mayıs University: 45.6 books
• Bilkent University: 42.3 books
• Galatasaray University: 37.3 books

  According to the most recent survey, Turkey's students struggle with reading proficiency, ranking the country 30 among 81 OECD countries.

  Meanwhile, Turkey's universities have experienced a decline in international rankings in recent years.

  Top public institutions such as the Middle East Technical University dropped from 85th place in 2015 to the 351-400 band in the 2024 Times Higher Education list. Similarly, Boğaziçi University, facing heavy government interference in recent years, plummeted from 139th in 2015 to approximately 601-800 band in 2024.

★ According to the daily Duvar, on March 27, The state-run Turkish Statistics Institute released its report on the senior citizens for 2023.

  According to the report, poverty among the country's elderly population reached 21.7 percent following years of steady increase.

  The population over 65 increased by 21.4 percent in five years to 8,7 million. If the demographic trend continues, the elderly population will be 25.6 percent of Turkey by 2080.

  The Turkish population's poverty rate increased by 0.4 in these five years. The discrepancy revealed an increased load on the elderly population regarding the cost of living.

★ Turkey's hunger threshold increased by 1,125 Turkish liras in March compared to the previous month to 20,098 liras ($625) and exceeded the 20,000 limit for the first time, according to the Birleşik Kamu-İş Labor Unions Confederation's research.

  The government determined the 2024 minimum wage as 17,002 liras ($529), which fell below the hunger threshold after two paychecks. The minimum wage has eroded by nearly 50 dollars after its announcement on December 27, 2023.

  The situation for some retirees who get the lowest Social Security payment of 9,497 Turkish liras is even worse.

★ According to the news outlet Bianet, the Turkish government continues its crackdown on international fugitives.

  On April 29, Bianet reported that Interior Minister Mr. Ali Yerlikaya announced the capture of Talgat Baisaov and Maxat Rakhishov, two internationally sought criminals, in İstanbul.

  Interpol had a red notice for Baisaov for illegal organization activities and smuggling and Rakhishov for fraud.

  Turkey will deport the two.

  Since the forming of the new cabinet after the 2023 elections, Turkey has ramped up efforts to purge its territory of internationally wanted criminals.

  The move came after the Financial Action Task Force placed Turkey on its grey list due to deficiencies in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

  Earlier this month, Mr. Yerlikaya announced that Turkish police apprehended 372 foreign nationals, 260 with a red notice.

★ Some brief headlines:

  Human Rights Watch: Syrians face dire conditions in Turkish-occupied "safe zone."

  Barron's: Belgium urges, after clashes between Turks and Kurds. Authorities detained 22 people.

  1Lurer: German Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned attack on Turkish Consulate General in Hanover. Turkey blamed the rebel operatives from the Kurdistan Workers Party, considered a terrorist organization by the U. S and the European Union.

  TRT World: German prosecutor confirms arson in killing of Turkish-Bulgarian family.

  Balkan Insight: Fatih Erbakan, Turkish Islamist Leader, eyeing Erdoğan's Crown.

  Libya Update: Libyan transport minister welcomes return of Turkish Airlines flights

  Reuters: According to a poll, pollsters saw Turkish inflation nearing 70% in March, falling to 43.75% at end-2024.

  Reuters: Turkish economic confidence rises to 100 in March.

  The Defense Post: Indonesian Army receives Turkish-made Kaplan tanks.

★ Istanbul's Salt and the BBVA Foundation announced the artistic research and production grant program.

  Founded by the Turkish bank Garanti BBVA in 2011, Salt is a cultural institution that develops innovative programs to create a platform for encounters, research, and expression for its users and visitors.

  Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. of Spain, which now owns the Turkish bank Garanti, established the BBVA Foundation.

  The program is for artists from Turkey who investigate contemporary social questions through interdisciplinary methodologies.

  The two-year grant program will offer a dynamic space for the artists. It will encourage them to engage between creative practitioners and their communities. 

  Projects will receive €20,000 each and a two-week residency in Spain.

  The application deadline is May 12.

★ Istanbul has new exhibitions. Here is a summary:

- Between March 20 and April 28, Dirimart hosts "Upfalling Ones"   the third solo exhibition by the artist duo Özlem Günyol and Mustafa Kunt. Showcasing a noteworthy approach to reconfiguring objects, the artists invite the audience to question perceptions of physicality and context.  

- "Progress-Regress," Serkan Yüksel's seventh solo exhibition, is at Gallery x-ist. Employing metaphorical narratives, irony, and caricatured scenarios, Yüksel criticizes the contemporary societal, political, and socio-political dynamics.

★ World screen.com reports that Eccho Rights has entered a strategic partnership with Amazon miniTV in India to bring a curated selection of Turkish dramas to the streamer, including Hear Me, produced by Süreç Film for Star Television.

  The 66×45-minute Hear Me sees Leyla become paralyzed in a hit-and-run incident. Her best friend, Ekim, takes it upon herself to find the driver while various interests try to bury the truth.

  Other titles included in the deal are "Dreaming of You" and "Loved Puzzle."

  Turkish television series are popular in over 146 countries with 700 million viewers. Turkey is the third-largest exporter of scripted series in the world, behind only the United States and Britain.

  Since 2020, global demand for Turkish shows has grown by 184%.

  Xinhua, The Chinese news agency, also reported that Turkish soap opera exporters are now poised to penetrate the Chinese market. Read the details >> here <<

★ According to Travel and Tour World, in 2024, Istanbul emerged as the European premier solo travel destination.

  It adds that Istanbul captivates with its myriads of activities and experiences tailored for individual explorations.

  individuals exploring on their own.

  The city's vast diversity and warm ambiance ensure that solo adventurers regard İstanbul as a delightful, dynamic, and accessible destination.

  It is also a treasure trove of culture, hosting, an array of museums, historical monuments, exclusive exhibitions, scenic streets, luxurious accommodations, top-tier dining, and sophisticated shopping venues.

★ According to Arkeonews, Archaeologists discovered two fortress settlements and two new open-air temples during a survey in Tunceli province in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey.

  Dr. Serkan Erdoğan, who is heading the excavations, said they found a new type of temple, unknown before.

  The temples contain a snake motif that archaeologists have seen in other places. Dr. Erdoğan added that there was a "Red Snake" myth in the area, which people of the region still believe in. "Today, those who still want to find healing continue to call out by saying "Ya Moro Sur, Tu esta (You exist, red snake)," he said.

  Researchers estimate that the temples date back 2900 years ago.

★ The April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day is approaching. The local Turkish American Association will celebrate the day with an event on April 20 in the Palo Alto community center.

  The celebration will feature the Bay Area Turkish children's chorus, Steve the Magic Guy, All-Star Kung Fu, Dancers from Azerbaijan, a Kyrgyz dance, and a Taiko show by the Mountain View Buddhist temple kids.

  There will be food served and it will be free for children under 12.

Ankara, in central Turkey        : 77/50 Partly Cloudy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean    : 79/61 Partly Cloudy
Erzurum, in Eastern Turkey       : 63/37 Partly Cloudy
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey : 68/52 Partly Cloudy
Izmir, on the Aegean             : 86/55 Partly Cloudy
Trabzon, on the Black Sea        : 64/54 Partly Cloudy

★ On March 27, The European Olympic Committees awarded the fourth European Games to Istanbul.

  The European Games is the fifth continental event established after the Asian, Pan-American, Pacific, and African games.

  The European Olympic Committee president Spyros Capralos announced the news in a statement. Meanwhile, Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, held a press conference about the coming of the games to Istanbul.

  Istanbul will not build any new venues for the games and rely on existing infrastructure.

★ At the 46th International Children's Fencing Tournament, which started on March 21 in Wroclaw, Poland, Turkey's Derin Taşpınar defeated her opponent Alesia Malodchyna 10-7 in the final and won the gold medal in the under-11 Women's foil.

  The tournament ended on March 24.

★ On March 23, Turkish fencer Enver Yıldırım won the bronze medal at the Adult Men's Saber World Cup held in Hungary, losing to his Hungarian opponent Andras Szatmari in the semi-finals. This medal was Yıldırım's first World Cup medal in the Men's category.

★ In the Turkish Airlines Euroleague games, Turkey's Fenerbahçe basketball team defeated ALBA Berlin 103-68 in Istanbul.

  Fenerbahçe team American basketball player Nigel Hayes broke a Euroleague record by scoring 50 points.