Voices Newspaper

07/05/2026

Plogging in Didim report - A deserted Sarıkum Plajı was the destination for yesterday’s plog which was attended by 21 ploggers. It was a beautiful sunny morning, with a gentle breeze coming off the sea.

There was a lot of rope which had been swept in off the sea accompanied by copious amounts of polystyrene which was scattered everywhere - remnants of fish boxes?

As always, there were glass and plastic bottles + loose plastic which kept the ploggers busy. 21 bags of assorted debris were collected and left by the overflowing Belediyesı bins.

Post plog, çay, Nescafé and goodies was the order of the day.

07/05/2026

Didim Mayor Hatice Gençay, along with municipal council members, inspected ongoing work at the Mavişehir Atatürk Culture and Living Area.

The Didim Municipality announced that a large portion of the area has been completed as part of the project, and final preparations are underway before the opening. It was stated that work continues to address deficiencies in physical infrastructure and social facilities.

05/05/2026

A young British couple are facing lengthy prison sentences in Turkey after being arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle two suitcases packed with cannabis to the UK.

Holly Cooper and Taylor Johnson, from the West Midlands and both aged 20, flew to Istanbul Airport on a flight from Thailand on 26 April. They had been due to board a connecting service to London.

Turkish customs officials intercepted the pair and took them in for questioning before placing them under arrest. They later appeared before a court in Istanbul and have since been transferred to a prison facility while prosecutors prepare their case.

The pair are currently represented by court-appointed lawyers and it could be many months before the case comes to trial.

Under Turkish law, those convicted of drug smuggling offences can face sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years in prison.

Friends have launched an online fundraising campaign to help cover legal costs for Taylor. A link to the GoFundMe page is available in the comments.

Source: Various UK news sites.

05/05/2026

Two foreign nationals have been arrested in a major operation off the coast of Didim, which led to 186 kilograms of drugs being seized

Following surveillance by Coast Guard Command teams, a boat was stopped and a total of 186 kilograms of drugs were found, and estimated to have a market value of millions of Turkish Lira.

The operation, which began at sea, was continued on land with the coordination of security forces. Two Georgian suspects found on the boat, along with the seized drugs, were handed over to the Didim Smuggling and Organized Crime Unit (KOM) for processing. It is believed that the suspects were attempting to transport the drugs by sea.

The suspects have been arrested pending further inquiries.

05/05/2026

A powerful supercell storm has battered southeastern Türkiye, leaving one dead and dozens injured. An unexpected heavy snowfall also disrupted life in the west — events that experts warn reflect a tripling of meteorological disasters in the country over the past 15 years.

In Gaziantep, the storm hit suddenly in the afternoon on May 3, paralyzing daily life across the city. Floodwaters submerged streets and underpasses, while strong winds ripped roofs off buildings, uprooted trees and damaged vehicles.

Three people were injured after the roof of an Olympic preparation center building was blown off. Authorities said 23 people were injured in storm-related incidents across the province.

A cargo pickup truck overturned on a bridge due to strong winds, while a mosque minaret collapsed and floating restaurants broke loose from their moorings. A 22-year-old woman, Nur Çakmak, died after a solar panel torn from a rooftop fell onto a car she was in.

Meanwhile, in western Türkiye, an unexpected return of winter conditions disrupted life in Afyonkarahisar and surrounding areas.

Heavy snowfall forced authorities to close key highways to heavy vehicles, including routes linking Afyonkarahisar with Uşak, Sandıklı and Ankara. Education was suspended for one day in several districts, while transport disruptions affected multiple regions.

Source: HDN

05/05/2026

There will be an extended holiday in Turkiye from Monday May 25 to Friday May 29 inclusive (or 9 days with the weekends included).

The break will encompass the upcoming Eid al-Adha plus 1.5 days of leave for public employees, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced following a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

"By including the one and a half days before the holiday as administrative leave, we are providing a total of nine days of holiday," Erdogan said.

Before the decision, Monday, May 25 would have been a regular workday, and Tuesday, May 26, the eve of Eid, just a half-day.
By folding those 1.5 days into the schedule, the government effectively bridges the gap between the preceding weekend and the Eid al-Adha break, turning what would have been a split calendar into a continuous nine-day holiday.

Eid al-Adha in 2026 falls between May 27 and May 30. With the added leave, the holiday period will begin on May 25 and run through May 31, creating a continuous nine-day break.

Source: Turkiye Today

04/05/2026

With Türkiye’s annual consumer inflation rising in April to 32.37%, up from 30.87% in March, the maximum increase rate for residential and commercial properties in May is now set at 32.43%.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages, one of the main components with the highest weight in the index, rose 34.55% year-on-year in April, contributing 8.72 percentage points to the annual rate.

Transport prices increased 35.06% annually, while housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels recorded the steepest rise.

04/05/2026

The historic “Cleopatra Pool,” located within the ancient city of Hierapolis in Denizli, has reopened to visitors following the completion of extensive environmental and facility upgrades.

The pool underwent a redevelopment launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in January 2025. As part of the project, the surrounding area was reorganized and a new visitor facility was constructed to improve the overall experience.

The newly completed complex includes a cafeteria, rest areas, changing rooms, and additional sections designed to meet visitor needs. These additions aim to support both domestic and international tourists as the site resumes operations.

Estimated to have a history of around 2,800 years, the pool stands out for its combination of thermal waters and submerged ancient ruins. Visitors can swim among historical remains while enjoying water temperatures that remain around 36 degrees Celsius throughout the year.

Source: Turkiye Today

04/05/2026

Here's a collection of news articles in recent days where airplanes and alcohol is a heady cocktail.......

1 - An EasyJet flight from London to Antalya was diverted after a woman 'swigging from bottle of vodka spat at passenger, sparking chaos, fights and panic.

The situation became so serious that the Airbus A320 was forced to divert to Kosovo, where police boarded the aircraft and escorted both individuals off.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/easyjet-flight-diverted-gatwick-antalya-37102587

2 - A quick-thinking eight year old boy managed to prevent a Jet2 flight from being diverted, displaying a maturity "far, far beyond his years".

The incident occurred on Jet2 flight LS1004 from Izmir to Manchester, on Friday April 24. Passenger John Henderson, 47, who was seated in row two, said the aircraft had been due to depart at 8pm but took off 50 minutes late after around 20 passengers were transferred from another flight that had been cancelled following a separate incident with a rowdy passenger.

A fellow passenger seated several rows behind the father and son soon began causing disruption, and matters "erupted" to such a degree that flight attendants informed her that the pilot had taken the decision to divert the aircraft.

John said disruption began around 30 minutes into the flight, shortly after the first drinks service started at about 9.25pm.

“She was already drinking her own alcohol when the stewardess came round,” Mr Henderson said. “They told her, ‘you can’t have that, we sell alcohol and you’ve had too much’, and confiscated her bottle of whisky.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/boy-8-calms-drunk-jet2-10947848

His dad was blown away by how he dealt with the sweary woman (national story)

04/05/2026

It appears that the ban on setting up caravans and tents without permission in public areas around Didim that came into effect on April 1 is falling on deaf ears.

The Didim District Public Health Council made an important decision regarding the increasing number of unauthorized caravan parks and tent settlements in the district in recent years, banning the uncontrolled setup of caravans and tents on beaches, parks, picnic areas, roadsides, and public areas as of April 1, 2026.

The decision was also announced to the public through the press.

Despite the decision taken throughout the district, it was observed that some people, taking advantage of the mild start of the summer season and the good weather, were still setting up tents on the beaches.

Even though warning signs were posted in the green areas used as a public beach in the Sahte Cennet site of Fevzipasa neighborhood, some citizens ignored the ban and set up tents right by the sea.

04/05/2026

As part of May 19 Atatürk Commemoration, Youth and Sports Day celebrations, a yacht race will be held off the coast of Didim, offering two days of competition and a visual spectacle at sea.

The "May 19th Cup Yacht Race," organized by Didim Sailing Club, will take place on May 16-17.

The first leg of the race will start in Didim on Saturday, May 16th and end in Turgutreis. The second leg, taking place on Sunday, May 17th, will see the boats start from Turgutreis and return to Didim. Both races will begin at 11:00 AM on both days, with competitors tackling a course of approximately 20 nautical miles.