Author: Sevil Hazan

The combined net profit of Turkish banks increased by 53.5 percent in January-September from a year ago to 439.7 billion Turkish Liras ($16.1 billion). Total assets of the banking sector rose more than 47 percent from the end of 2022 to amount to 21.09 trillion liras, data from the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) showed. Loans extended by lenders grew 41.3 percent over the same period to reach 10.7 trillion liras. Banks’ interest income from loans leaped 76 percent compared with the January-September period of 2022, but their interest expenses soared 161 percent. They paid 907 billion liras in…

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian will pay an official visit to Ankara on Wednesday to discuss the conflict between Israel and Palestinians, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. The foreign ministers of Turkey and Iran will also hold talks on bilateral ties and other regional issues, the ministry said in a statement. Source: Jerusalem Post

The regulations included in the tax bill that will be presented next Tuesday to the cabinet by Greek Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis will be aimed at the portion of freelancers who systematically show extremely low incomes, passing the burden on to other consistent taxpayers. Hatzidakis announced that these measures aim to tackle tax evasion, among other things. As sources from the Ministry pointed out, the need to intervene in the taxation system of the self-employed arises from the data of this year’s tax returns for 2022 incomes, which are processed by the Independent Public Revenue Authority (AADE). According to AADE,…

Τhere was some chaos at the international airport of Athens “Eleftherios Venizelos” at noon on Thursday, when the passport control machines stopped working. Passengers formed very long queues and tension at times was high. Affected were passport control machines at the arrivals and for travelers reportedly from non-Schengen countries. According to state broadcaster ERT, several of the automatic European passport control machines in the arrivals area were out of order, resulting in long queues and inconvenience to many passengers. Only three of the approximately ten control machines were working, ERT reported. It is recalled that based on security regulations, there…

Paris, Wellington, Cape Town (29/10 – 18) South Africa has produced another magnificent defensive performance, to win the 2023 World Rugby Cup final. The Springboks beat New Zealand 12-11 in a Saturday thriller at Stade de France, Saint-Denis, thus becoming the first nation to win four Rugby World Cup titles – after their previous triumphs in 1995, 2007, and 2019. Four Handre Pollard penalties gave the Springboks a 12-6 lead in the first half. By that time, New Zealand already lost captain Sam Cane, red-carded for a high tackle on Jesse Kriel in the 32nd minute. The All Blacks only…

On Friday, S&P upgraded Greece’s rating. But while the economy has been cleaned up, it remains 20% below its 2008 level and the population is still very impoverished. At the Greek Ministry of Finance, the news was eagerly awaited. On the evening of Friday, October 20, the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) rating agency announced its long-awaited decision: Greece’s rating was upgraded from BB+ to BBB-. A technicality, but highly symbolic: thirteen years after being downgraded to junk bond status, ie the riskiest category, Greece is officially back in the investment grade category. “It’s essentially symbolic,” admitted Secretary General of the…

Kawakin Core-Tech (Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan; President and CEO: Shinkichi Suzuki) has opened its Istanbul branch, the company’s first branch in Turkey. It is scheduled to start operations on 29 October, the 75th anniversary of the Kawakin Holdings Group, which originated with the founding of Kawaguchi Metal Industries, and the 100th anniversary of the founding of Turkey. From 2022, the company has begun joint research with Istanbul Technical University to produce an affordable, earthquake-resistant buckling-restrained brace. In February 2023, during the joint research, the “Turkey-Syria earthquake” occurred. It has been suggested that one of the contributing factors to the damage caused…

Dittany of Crete is an ancient Greek herb known for its “magical” healing properties which was mentioned in the world of Harry Potter. Dittany, known as Dictamo in Greek (Δίκταμο), is one of the symbols of Crete. It captivated ancient minds, with notable ancient Greek scholars praising its healing traits. Even to this day, it remains a part of Greek medical and culinary traditions. Dittany ancient Greek healing herb known since Minoan timesDittany of Crete is steeped in ancient legends, leading to the adoption of multiple names reflecting its use in Greek culture. Researchers suggest that this slender, small-leaved herb…

Frankfurt, Paris (22/10 – 20)  Many tourists consider traveling to Europe during the summer months of June – September, but autumn’s cooler temperature, colorful leaves and diverse culinary choices can also charm visitors of the blue continent. Here are several events and attractions you can visit across Europe during autumn. 1. Amsterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam offers a wide array of activities during autumn, such as Amsterdam Marathon, an annual marathon in Amsterdam in the Netherlands since 1975. There is also Amsterdam Dance Event, held between Oct. 18 and 22, is the largest electronic club festival in the world but also the…

Paris, Wellington, London (16/10 – 45) Two former champions are showing their strength, as New Zealand and South Africa are through to the 2023 Rugby World Cup semifinals, at the expense of the two best teams in the world. New Zealand and South Africa – the pair ruining Ireland and France’s dreams of becoming a new champion in this tournament. Ireland and France tried their best, but the pedigree of New Zealand and South Africa as former champions could not be denied. On Saturday at Stade de France, Saint-Denis, three-time champions New Zealand prolonged Ireland’s quarter-finals curse. Before this year’s…