★ On April 2, Israel attacked the Syrian airbase T4.

  After the attack, an Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post that the strike was to stop Turkey from establishing a military foothold in Syria.

  In the past week, the Israeli Air Force bombed the airbase several times, but the April 2nd attack was the most extensive.

  Middle East Eye, a United Kingdom-based media website and channel focusing on the Middle East, claimed that Turkey planned on converting the base into a drone hub and temporarily deploying Russian-made AS-400 systems.

  Israeli analysts said the base could threaten the air operations and its F-35 jets.

★ According to Reuters, the ruling Justice and Development Party administration, led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, criticized the calls for a shopping boycott.

  The boycott started to protest the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the popular mayor of the Istanbul Metropolitan area.

  First, the boycott targeted the companies that supported Mr. Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party.

  The administration defined the boycott as a sabotage to the Turkish economy.

  However, Murat Yetkin, a reporter and a news analyst, said that some months ago, Mr. Erdoğan considered boycotts of companies a right.

  The Turkish service of Deutsche Welle went one more step further and listed how Mr. Erdoğan called on people for boycotts:

  These include:

  In 2018, when the U. S. put sanctions on Turkey for not releasing an American pastor from jail, Mr. Erdoğan asked people to stop purchasing iPhones.

  In 2020, after French President Emmanuel Macron had pronouncements perceived as anti-Islamic, President Erdoğan asked people not to purchase French goods.

  In 2023, he asked people not to purchase Israeli goods and not to deal with U. S. dollars.

  On January 6, 2025, Mr. Erdoğan said:

  "One of the effective methods to bring down those who sell expensive products is a boycott. Our biggest trump card against opportunists is to use the freedom not to buy."

★ On April 1, Durrie Bouscaren of National Public Radio reported on the recent protests against the Erdoğan administration for arresting Ekrem İmamoğlu, the popular mayor of metropolitan Istanbul.

  Here is a summary of the Bouscaren report:

  In Turkey, most people did not go to work the week after Ramadan. Schools were out, and offices were closed.

  Bouscaren interviewed two people who had their relatives or acquaintances arrested during the unrest that continued through the Ramadan holiday.

  She later talked to Selim Koru, a Turkish political expert and author based in London, who said the Erdoğan administration extended the Ramadan holiday, hoping the protests would cool off.

  Koru added: "The administration probably didn't anticipate this much noise, and they probably didn't anticipate this degree of organization on the opposition's side."

  He pointed out that going to the ballot box to choose somebody to represent people is sacred in Turkey and said, "If you disrupt that, people will remember."

  >> here <<

★ The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor has launched an investigation into social media boycott calls, which they consider divisive rhetoric preventing public economic activity. The office is investigating the Individuals spreading this rhetoric on charges of hatred, discrimination, and incitement to hatred and hostility.

  In the meantime, Ömer Bolat, Turkish trade minister, claimed that the nationwide shopping boycott held on April 2 was ineffective.

  He claimed that credit card spending increased and added, "The public has boycotted the boycotters."

  Also, after being contacted by her fans on social media, Norwegian singer Ane Brun canceled her concert in response to the ongoing Turkish boycott campaign.

  DBL Entertainment, an event organizer in Turkey who claims to support the Erdoğan administration, organized the Ane Brun concert.

  Its other concerts and events will also not take place:

  On April 23, Trevor Noah, a South African comedian, would have performed in Istanbul.

  June concert featuring British rock band Muse also got the ax.

  "After careful consideration and hearing the feedback from our fans whilst fully respecting their concerns, our show in Istanbul will now be postponed until 2026 so we can ensure DBL Entertainment will not be involved," the band said on social media.

★ BBC Turkish service reports that new Trump tariffs for Turkey are 10 percent.

  According to the Turkish Ministry of Commerce, the U. S. is the second-largest export market for Turkey.

  In 2023, trade between the United States and Turkey totaled approximately 30.05 billion dollars. In 2023, the U.S. exported goods worth $14.58 billion to Turkey and imported goods worth $15.47 billion from Turkey, resulting in a U.S. trade deficit of about $890 million.

  In contrast, the trade in goods and services between the European Union and the U. S. is around 1.74 trillion dollars, roughly 60 times that of Turkey.

  BBC writes that Turkey may gain market share in the U.S.

★ Forbes published its 2025 list of world billionaires. There were 3028 individuals on the list, 35 of them were from Turkey.

  The magazine said Murat Ülker, the principal shareholder of Yildiz Holding with a net worth of 5.5 billion dollars, is the wealthiest man in Turkey.

  The second richest Turk is Şaban Cemil Kazancı, with 4.3 billion dollars. His company deals with power generation.

  The third Turk on the list also had a net worth of 4.3 billion dollars. He is Uğur Şahin, the German-based co-founder of BioNTech and a Turkish citizen by birth. His pharmaceutical company developed the first COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured and marketed in the U. S. by Pfizer.

  Eren and Fatih Özmen, founders of the US-based defense and aerospace contractor Sierra Nevada Corporation, were in fifth place with a net worth of 4 billion dollars for Eren and 3.8 billion for Fatih.

  Commenting that 35 Turkish citizens in the Forbes billionaires list highlight inequality in Turkey, Bianet wrote that the 35 hold three times the total wealth of the poorest 50 percent of the population, approximately 42.5 million.

  Read the Bianet article >> here <<

★ Bianet, an independent news outlet, reports that the government-owned broadcaster Turkish Radio and Television Corporation removed several actors supporting the boycott campaign from ongoing projects.

  Istanbul prosecutors ordered the detention of Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu, one of the actors removed.

★ Turkish archaeologists discovered elaborate graves in Başur Mound in southeastern Turkey containing adolescent remains.

  According to the Cambridge Archaeological Journal, the discovery reveals social and political organization in bronze-age Mesopotamia.

  The mound dates from 3102 to 2800 BCE. Archaeologists found numerous artifacts, including copper objects, beads, and textiles decorating the burials. A DNA analysis of the remains pointed out that most lavishly decorated burials belonged to teenage girls, possibly sacrificed for a cult initiation.

★ Renowned Turkish musician Volkan Konak, 58, passed away on March 31 in Cyprus while on stage.

  He primarily performed folk songs, including rock and pop adaptations of traditional tunes. A native of the Black Sea region, his repertoire heavily featured music from the Black Sea.

★ Turkish artist Dr. Lütfü Kaplanoğlu is opening a new space for art with ArtMahall in Beyoğlu/Cihangir, one of the precious neighborhoods of Istanbul.

  Dr. Kaplanoğlu has participated in more than 200 mixed exhibitions around the globe and made a name for himself with the international art projects he has carried out.

  He will host his visitors with his 28th solo exhibition, "Love."

  Curated by Derya Aydoğan, the last day for the exhibition is April 23.

  Dr. Lütfü Kaplanoğlu is the head of the Art and Design department at Yıldız Technical University in Istanbul.

★ The solo exhibition titled "Migration Memory: From Roots to Wings" by Turkish artist Şerivan Tutuş is about to end in A Coruña, Spain.

  The artistic director of the exhibition is Rozerin Tutuş.

  The exhibition brings together traces of migration with art lovers at the intersection of music and painting and tells the effects of migration on individuals and society with the universal language of art.

  The exhibition highlights migration not merely as a physical movement but as a journey shaped by identity, culture, and memory. It also presents a unique narrative where the artist reimagines 25 songs as migration-themed paintings.

  Among the songs included are Exodus by Bob Marley, Krunk by Komitas, On The Turning Away by Pink Floyd, and I Am On A Long Winding Road by Aşık Veysel.

  The organizers organized the exhibition within the scope of the European Union European Solidarity Program under the coordination of Fundación Condado de Taboada, Genç Birikim Association, and Genç Çaba Association.

  Born in Diyarbakır in southeastern Turkey in 1993, Şerivan Tutuş graduated from Akdeniz University, Faculty of Communication.

  She got interested in painting and art history and took lessons from names such as Mustafa Doğan, which shaped her artistic productions.

★ The 7th Turkish Community Art Exhibition, featuring works by Turkish artists, will meet art lovers in London until April 19.

  London Yunus Emre Institute and the Consulate General of Turkey in London support the exhibition.

  The exhibition features works from traditional to digital art, photography, and handicrafts. Fifty-one works, meticulously selected from 110 applications, are on display.

★ The Toros Belt 2 Goat Aesthetics Exhibition featuring goats, the symbol of the Toros Mountains, started in the Mediterranean province of Antalya in Turkey.

  The exhibition, featuring the works of painter Nuri Sezen made with oil and acrylic, opened its doors at the Kepez Municipality Modern Arts Gallery.

  Nuri Sezen says he has been painting for many years, portraying the natural environment he lives in, the beauties of the Taurus Mountains, and the goats, which are symbolically meaningful and rich.

  The last day of the exhibition is April 21.

★ The exhibition Inhibition/Exhibition (Çile Bülbülüm Çile) at Beyoğlu Municipality Istiklal Art Gallery by Cem Mumcu just ended.

  The exhibition revealed human psychology, feelings, and troubles in both linguistic and visual dimensions.

  In the exhibition curated by Derya Yücel, visitors observed how Cem Mumcu explored human psychology and the inertia of the times.

  Also, Yücel presented a portrait of the author as an artist.

  Mumcu was born in Akçaabat, Turkey, in 1966. In addition to being a painter, he is a writer, poet, psychiatrist, and publisher.

  In 2004, he won "The Ones at the Top" award for Best Story Writer, a publicly-voted honor recognizing talented writers.

★ The Hittites, prolific record-keepers of the Anatolian Bronze Age, left behind thousands of cuneiform tablets, especially at their capital Hattusa, near modern Boğazköy, Çorum in central Turkey. These texts have offered key insights into Hittite history, religion, economy, and broader Anatolian life.

  A recently deciphered tablet, led by Michele Bianconi of Oxford, sheds new light on the Trojan War-linking Anatolian history to Homeric epic tradition. The earlier Hittite records mentioned Wiluša (Troy), Ahhiyawa (Achaeans), and figures like Alaksandu and Attaršiya, but this tablet goes further.

  It recounts royal correspondence between a Hittite ruler and Pariyamuwa, likely a regional king or vassal. The letter describes an attack on Taruiša (Troy) by Attaršiya of Ahhiyawa and his sons, which aligns with another Hittite text, which casts Attaršiya as a major Achaean force in Western Anatolia.

  Most notably, the tablet ends with a Luwian poetic fragment referencing the fall of Wiluša:

  "In Luwian, they speak of the destruction of steep Wiluša: 'Rage, goddess, sing…'"

  The phrasing closely mirrors the famous opening of the Iliad, suggesting a pre-Homeric poetic tradition in Anatolia.

★ Adıyaman Museum Directorate teams found a Seljuk inn and historical bridge dating back to the 13th century on the slopes of Mount Nemrut.

  Evliya Çelebi mentions the two structures in his 17th-century book "Travelogue." Also, he mentions a nearby town called Sürre. Now, its location is a matter of curiosity.

  Evliya Çelebi (1611 – 1682) was an Ottoman explorer who traveled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands during the cultural zenith of the empire.

  He traveled for over 40 years, recording his commentary in a 10-volume travelogue called the Seyahatnâme, "Book of Travel." It is the longest and most ambitious account of travel writing in any language.