Published December 25,2025

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Eight baby lovebirds put into protection in Türkiye after being offered for sale illegally are showing progress in their recovery in the city of Antalya on the Turkish Riviera.

The month-old chicks, kept under optimal light and temperature conditions at Antalya Natural Life Park, are being hand-fed special formula every five hours via syringe. Their feathers have begun to sprout.

The lovebirds had health checks at the park’s veterinary clinic and have been placed in quarantine. Once the quarantine is over and the birds have reached maturity, they will all be released into a specially prepared area within the park.

Veterinarians at Antalya Natural Life Park are closely monitoring the chicks’ immune systems, behavior, and development to ensure healthy growth. They are currently in good health.

The birds were rescued after Antalya police learned that various lovebird species were being sold illegally and under unsuitable conditions. A total of 24 lovebirds, including the eight chicks, were handed over to the park.

The Antalya Municipality Natural Life Park is home to more than 1,500 animals from nearly 130 different species. In 2025 alone, nearly 200 animals-including snakes, monkeys, and various bird species-were put under protection at the park.

Lovebirds are small, colorful parrots native to Africa. They live in flocks in savannas, woodlands, and near water sources.

Most are not migratory, moving only locally if water dries up. Popular as pets due to their affectionate nature and strong pair bonds, some species face threats from illegal trapping and smuggling to other countries, as well as habitat loss.

Published December 26,2025

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Turkish security forces detained a suspected ISIS (Daesh) terrorist who was allegedly preparing an attack for New Year’s, according to security forces.

Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), working with police, detained the suspect identified as Ibrahim Burtakucin in the eastern province of Malatya.

Intelligence findings indicated that Burtakucin had been operating in Türkiye on behalf of the terrorist group ISIS and had sought to travel to conflict zones to join the group when possible.

He was also believed to have been in contact with multiple ISIS sympathizers in Türkiye and abroad.

Digital materials and banned publications linked to the suspect and the militant group were seized during the operation.

Published December 25,2025

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Türkiye-based social media platform NSosyal has introduced a number of new features to its users, the most notable of which is the highly anticipated stories functionality.

As detailed in the latest app store update notes, key enhancements to content creation and engagement include story mode, toggleable replies on posts, in-profile post search, and the ability to pin up to three posts on user profiles.

Additional updates include a verified account application form, searchable following/follower lists, in-app controls for changing username, email, and password, account deactivation options, and improved navigation menus.

Profile image cropping and scaling have also been improved for a better user experience.

Launched in July 2025 by the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Vakfi) in collaboration with Baykar Technology—initially under the name Next Sosyal—the platform rapidly exceeded 1 million users post-launch, establishing itself as one of the country’s fastest-growing domestic social apps.

Published December 25,2025

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The Turkish Defense Ministry said on Thursday that the wreckage of crashed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Balıkesir and Kocaeli provinces is being examined, and that information will be shared with the public once the findings are available.

However, the wreckage of the UAV, which was shot down on Dec. 15 while approaching Turkish airspace over the Black Sea, has yet to be collected “because it was scattered over a wide area in very small pieces,” said Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk, a press and public relations advisor and spokesperson for the Defense Ministry during a press conference at defense giant ASELSAN to commemorate its 50th anniversary.

“The control of our airspace is ensured 24/7 with a multi-layered architecture including radars, electro-optical sensors, land, sea, and air elements, and the NATO integrated structure, and there is no weakness in this regard,” Aktürk told reporters.

He stated that small, low-altitude UAVs with low radar cross-sections pose a “new generation threat” to all countries, including Türkiye.

“As a result, the incidents in question are a reflection of the increased use of UAVs due to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, rather than an air defense weakness. Türkiye is taking additional measures against UAVs, including national projects and allied integrations,” he said.

Türkiye is constantly improving its air defense capabilities and remains committed to ensuring the security of its airspace, he noted.

LATEST SITUATION IN SYRIA

Aktürk said recent terrorist attacks by the PKK/YPG, also known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have harmed Syria’s territorial integrity and stability, hindering the reconciliation process.

“Türkiye’s stance, which seeks to promote regional peace and stability, is clear and well understood. In this regard, Türkiye is determined to maintain close cooperation with the Syrian government and uphold the ‘One State, One Army’ principle,” he stated.

GREECE, ISRAEL, GREEK CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION DEAL

Military cooperation between Greece, the Greek Cypriot Administration, and Israel, initiated at a recent trilateral summit, “does not pose a military threat to Türkiye,” Aktürk underscored.

He said Türkiye supports constructive dialogue in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, based on the NATO alliance.

However, Türkiye’s position on the security and rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is “clear and unchanging,” he added.

“Türkiye has never refrained from using the powers granted to it by its guarantor status and will not refrain from doing so in the future,” he stressed.

“In conclusion, the party increasing tension in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean is not Türkiye, but exclusionary and unilateral steps and approaches aimed at creating faits accomplis,” he said.