Türkiye's iconic Hagia Sophia to charge foreign visitors

STORY: Türkiye's iconic Hagia Sophia to charge foreign visitors SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 31, 2023 DATELINE: Nov. 1, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:54 LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Türkiye STORYLINE: Foreign tourists will have to pay a fee to visit Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, an iconic mosque, starting Jan. 15, 2024, Türkiye's culture and tourism minister said on Tuesday. "It will remain free for Turkish worshippers," Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said in a televised address in Istanbul broadcast live by Haberturk television channel. The minister noted that the decision was made upon advice from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). No entrance fee has been in place since the mosque, located on the European side of Istanbul, was converted from a museum three years ago. The 1,500-year-old building is one of the most popular tourist spots in the country. It was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. In September, Turkis

Türkiye hints at new land offensive in Syria following Istanbul attack

STORY: Türkiye hints at new land offensive in Syria following Istanbul attack DATELINE: Nov. 29, 2022 LENGTH: 00:04:09 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the scene of the Istanbul bomb attack (Courtesy of ihlas news agency) 2. various of the militants of PKK (file) 3. various of the cross-border operation of Türkiye after Istanbul bomb attack 4. various of the last cross-border operation of Türkiye (Courtesy of Turkish Defense Ministry) 5. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): SERKAN DEMIRTAS, Foreign policy analyst and commentator STORYLINE: Türkiye has threatened for multiple times to launch a fresh ground offensive into Syria following a deadly bombing in the heart of its biggest city Istanbul for which it has blamed Kurdish militants. Turkish authorities have said that the investigation into the attack that killed six civilians in Istiklal Avenue, one of Istanbul's busiest areas, points to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and its Syrian affiliates, the People's Protection Units (YPG). Turkis