Our pick of the news from Fethiye and around Turkey over the last week.

News

Super blue blood moon

A blue moon (a second full moon in a calendar month), a supermoon (when the moon is unusually close to Earth, making it bigger and brighter) and a blood moon (a moment during an eclipse when the moon appears red) all coincided on Wednesday for the first time since 1866.

Although we weren’t able to see the eclipse in Fethiye, here’s a shot of the super moon taken by Steve Parsley.

Click here for the Lunar Calendar 2018 for Turkey.

Statue of Fethi Bey moves to new recreation area

The statue of Captain Tayyareci Fethi Bey, the first pilot in the history of Turkish aviation who gave his name to Fethiye, was moved to its new home on Tuesday. The statue will be on display in the new recreation area currently under development opposite the Devlet (State) hospital.

Fethiye Mayor Behçet Saatci, who was present to observe the work, said “The sculpture will stay here for as long as it is in Fethiye. The yearly commemoration ceremony for Fethi Bey will be held in the recreation area on February 27, 2018”.

The Turkish Air Force’s Solo demonstration team will be in Fethiye to honour the memorial day.

An unusual place to park

A minibus rolled into the water in the Babataşı district of Fethiye last Saturday when the driver did not pull his handbrake on properly when parking on the slope leading to the canal.

The minibus was later removed with the help of a crane.

 The rescue work was watched with interest by a crowd of onlookers.

Source: SonDakika

Grizzly bear prints at Girdev Plateau

Large footprints found in the snow at Girdev Plateau left locals believing there was an Anatolian leopard living in the area.

Muğla Üniversity Wildlife Specialist, Dr Yasin İlemin, has recently confirmed that the footprints belong to a grizzly bear.

“Research carried out between 2010 and present has identified a population of grizzlies in the Muğla Province” – he went on to reassure people that they are not aggressive.

One of the oldest churches in Anatolia found in northern Turkey

Possibly one of the oldest churches in Anatolia has been unearthed in the northern Turkish province of Karabük.

According to Anadolu Agency (AA), the discovery was made during excavation works in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis located in Karabük’s Eskipazar district.

Hadrianopolis used to be an important site of pilgrimage for early Christians until the city lost its importance in 8th century A.D.

Researchers found a 1,500-year-old structure believed to one of the earliest churches built in the Anatolian peninsula, AA said.

Karabük University Archeology Department teaching member Assist. Prof. Dr. Ersin Çelikbaş said the ancient church is 20 meters long and is situated in a significant location.

Çelikbaş added that the construction of the church coincides with the period of Saint Alypius the Stylite, who is believed to have lived between 6th and 7th centuries A.D. He was one of the pillar-saints of Christian faith, who climbed on top of pillars and spent the rest of their lives with preaching, fasting and praying.

The excavations of the 1,500-year-old structure are ongoing.

Source: Daily Sabah

Sport

Basketball

Fethiye Belediyespor won their away match against Bilgilendirme/Yeni Mamak yesterday. The final score was 64-72.

Fethiyespor

Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the Fethiyespor updates.

Fethiyespor had a busy time during the January transfer window. They gained 14 new players and 10 players left the club.

Fethiyespor lost their away match against Gümüşhanespor. yesterday. The final score was 4-1. A disappointing result as Fethiyespor had a 0-1 lead at half-time.

After yesterday’s result, Fethiyespor dropped to 15th position on the league table. They are now only two points away from the relegation zone.

The next league matches are:

Saturday 10th February 2018 at home against Zonguldak Kömürspor. Kick off is 13:30.

Wednesday 14th February 2018 away against Kahrahmanmaraşspor A.Ş. Kick off is 13:00 (please note the earlier kick-off time)

For more information about Fethiyespor please visit Fethiyespor Yabancilar on Facebook.

Turkish Money

Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates:

The British Pound bought 5.32 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 5.31 TL.

The US Dollar bought 3.76 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 3.75 TL.

The Euro bought 4.69 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 4.66 TL.

Weather Forecast

Here’s your weather forecast for the week ahead.