Opened to worship for the first time in 88 years, Orthodox Christians from Russia, Greece, Georgia and the United States poured into the Black Sea province for a historic mass Sunday at the iconic Sümela Monastery. Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew led the mass, which was attended by approximately 500 worshippers, marking the Assumption of the Mother Mary, a sacred day for Orthodox Christians.

Turkey continues to buck global trends with GDP growth rates of 12% recorded for Q1 2010, domestic banks increasing the availability of credit by up to 30% and now levels of foreign direct investment in Istanbul are up by 27% according to the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO).

Turkish protester was on the Taksim Square again for internet bans. Over 2,000 protesters marched in Turkey's largest city Istanbul against strict internet censorship in the country. The protesters were demanding that a law preventing access to over 5,000 internet sites banned in Turkey be repealed. Big internet protesters meet in Taksim Suqare and walked to the Istiklal Caddesi in Istanbul yesterday.

It seems that we’re all going on a Turkish holiday this year as the latest data from the Turkish Directorate General of State Airports Authority (DHMI) reveals a 24% increase in passenger numbers in the first half of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.