"Stress & Release": To Avoid the Usual Wedding Complications, Having a "Fake Wedding", in Uşak

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Yeni Asır website, 26 October 2026)

   Slogan: "For Fun Instead of Drama!"

A wedding in Uşak that’s taking social media by storm! It’s called a 

"Fake Wedding"—students hit the dance floor, with neither a bride nor 

a groom in sight! 

There’s no bride and no groom, yet the gold, the jewelry, and the 

festivities are all completely real! University students in Uşak have pulled 

off an ingenious event to bypass the soaring costs of weddings and the 

tension that often arises with relatives. Ömer Karahan, a columnist for 

*Günaydın*, explores all the intriguing details of this "Fake Wedding"—

which has set social media abuzz—in today’s column. Here is a look 

behind the scenes of this extraordinary celebration...

No mothers-in-law, no sisters-in-law, and no squabbles between the 

bride’s and groom’s families. There’s no keeping track of who gifted 

what, and no relatives ending up offended by the time the wedding 

wraps up! But there is cake, there’s *çiftetelli* (traditional folk dance), 

and there’s *halay* (line dancing). There’s even gold! And that’s the 

most fun part: at a typical wedding, you’re the one giving gold—but 

at this one, you might actually win some.

Unpleasant wedding murders like this will be avoided.

The gifts presented during the ceremonial exchange will be distributed 

via a raffle, with one lucky person walking away with a gram of gold. 

Given the current economic climate, it’s enough to make anyone wish, 

"I hope the same happens to me!" The event will take place on the 

evening of October 31st at Deniz Wedding Halls in Uşak, with tickets 

priced at 333 TL (about $6.50) per person. 

For groups of four or more, the cost is 300 liras. In essence, these 

young people started with a very simple yet creative idea: does someone 

actually have to get married in order to have a good time? They’ve taken 

all the enjoyable aspects of weddings while stripping away the stress, 

the expenses, and the endless, tiresome squabbles between families.

Among the special guests...

I think they’ve done a great job. What’s more, they’ve turned it into 

something truly entertaining by playfully poking fun at our traditional 

wedding culture. Who knows—perhaps before long, we’ll start seeing 

fake engagement parties and mock *kına gecesi* (henna nights) as well.

An "alternative" map of Uşak, just for the fake wedding!

"Flee & Release": Two Teenage Girls Fall to Ground When Bed Sheet Rips, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(DHA News Agency, 25 October 2026)

Off to a good start, but...

In Küçükçekmece, 16-year-old H.U.—who had returned home 

after escaping from a state-run care home—and her friend, 

16-year-old A.R., were seriously injured after a bedsheet they 

were using to escape from a third-story window tore, causing 

them to fall. Both girls were taken to the hospital, and it has 

been reported that one of them is in critical condition.

The incident occurred this morning on the third floor of a 

five-story apartment building on İkbal Street in the Gültepe 

neighborhood. Ö.U., who lost his wife some time ago, had 

previously placed his daughter, H.U., in a care home. 

According to reports, H.U. escaped from the facility today with her 

friend, A.R., and arrived at her father’s home. Upon discovering 

this, Ö.U. locked the two girls in a room to prevent them from 

leaving and notified the care home authorities. The girls then 

attempted to escape by lowering a bedsheet from the third-story 

window. 

...you gotta read the instructions first!

However (!), as they tried to climb down, the sheet tore; one 

girl fell to the ground, while the other landed on the roof of a 

coal shed.  Following a report, police and medical teams were 

dispatched to the scene. Paramedics provided initial intervention 

before transporting the girls to the hospital by ambulance. It has 

been reported that one of the girls, A.R., is in critical condition.

"Monkey Business & Release": Tiny Macaque Monkey, Named "The Strange One", Gets First-class Health Care, in Gaziantep

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Haberler.com website, 24 October 2026)

                        "The strange one"

A 3-month-old male macaque, which had been brought into 

Turkey illegally and subsequently seized in Afyonkarahisar, 

has recovered following treatment at the Gaziantep Wildlife 

Center. The young macaque, named 'Garip' (meaning 'the 

strange one') (!), has become the center's mascot; he will be 

kept under supervised conditions for 1.5 to 2 months 

to ensure he integrates well with other young macaques.

During inspections conducted by Nature Conservation and 

National Parks teams in Afyonkarahisar, a baby macaque was 

discovered in the possession of an individual; the animal was 

taken into protective custody and brought to the Gaziantep 

Wildlife Center.

Upon arrival at the center, it was determined that the infant 

macaque was struggling to feed and had concerning blood test 

results, leading to its admission to the animal hospital for 

treatment.

Veterinarians performed blood tests and ultrasound exams, 

and the macaque was kept in intensive care for a period. 

During this time, it received intravenous fluids, vitamins, and 

minerals; the infant responded positively to the treatment and 

began to feed once again.

"Garip" adjusting well to his mascot role.

Named "Garip" (meaning "strange" or "peculiar") by its caretakers, 

the young macaque was moved to a separate enclosure—where 

it can see other young macaques but cannot make physical 

contact—once its health returned to normal.

As the youngest macaque at the center, Garip will remain under 

observation for some time to ensure it can adapt to the other young 

macaques; plans are in place to integrate it into the group within 

1.5 to 2 months.

Celal Özsöyler, Head of the Wildlife Conservation and Veterinary 

Services Department for the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, 

told an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter that the infant underwent a 

comprehensive health check upon its arrival at the center.

"We kept it (him!) in intensive care for a while"

"Beat & Release": Killers, Still on the Lam, Leave a Trail of Blood, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 23 October 2026)

                     No "honeymoon phase" this time.

Mehmet Emin Yüksel, a suspect in an armed attack at a 

residential complex in Istanbul—which left Yasin Binarci dead 

and Mehmet Işık wounded—has been found dead, having been 

shot inside his car on a vacant lot next to a construction site.

Police were dispatched to a residential complex in Istanbul’s 

Büyükçekmece district following reports of gunfire around 

1:30 PM the other day. Upon checking the location, officers 

discovered that Yasin Binarci (26) and Mehmet Işık had been 

targeted in an armed attack inside an apartment on the 17th 

floor. Medical personnel arriving at the scene confirmed that 

Yasin Binarci had died, while the wounded Mehmet Işık was 

transported to a hospital after receiving initial treatment. 

A search of the premises yielded three handguns and a quantity 

of narcotics.

What goes around comes around...

Following the attack, police launched an investigation to 

apprehend the suspect and discovered an abandoned car—

license plate 06 CJN 835—on a vacant lot next to a construction 

site in the Bağcılar district. Finding an individual lying 

motionless inside the vehicle, officers alerted medical teams, 

who confirmed that the person had died. Identification efforts 

revealed the deceased to be Mehmet Emin Yüksel (22), a 

suspect in the attack at the residential complex. Crime scene 

investigators recovered two 9mm shell casings and a knife 

from the vehicle.

Further investigation indicated that the car had been left at the 

site by three individuals, who subsequently fled on foot. 

Police teams have launched an effort to identify and apprehend 

the 3 suspects.

"Meow & Release": Cat Prowling Butcher's Display Sparks Outrage, in Bursa

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 23 October 2026)

                         Taste-tester.

Footage from a national chain supermarket in the Mudanya 

district  of Bursa has sparked a backlash on social media. 

A cat was captured on a mobile phone camera entering a 

refrigerated display case in the butcher section, opening a 

package, and eating the meat (!). The District Directorate of 

Agriculture and Forestry has imposed a fine of 52,800 TL 

(about $1,000) on the store.

A shopper recorded the incident on their mobile phone as a cat, 

which had entered the chain supermarket in the Bademli 

neighborhood, began eating meat from the butcher counter. 

It is alleged that the shopper alerted the staff when the cat first 

entered the store, but was told, "Don't worry, it won't do 

anything." (!)

"Hmmmm...what looks good? I'm very finicky!"

Following the circulation of the footage online, teams from the 

Mudanya District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry 

inspected the supermarket. They seized the meat from the display 

case for destruction and issued a fine of 52,800 TL.

A statement released by the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture

and Forestry via their social media account noted the following:

"Regarding the footage reportedly filmed at a supermarket 

operating within our province, inspection teams from the relevant 

District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry conducted an 

immediate investigation. As a result of these inspections, it was 

determined that hygiene regulations were not being followed (!),

and administrative sanctions have been applied to the business in 

accordance with the relevant legislation."

"Unmentionables & Release": Ladies' Lingerie the Focus of Snooper in Istanbul and Fellows in Çorum

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(GZT.com website, 22 October 2026)

                       Wherefore art thou  privacy!

A male staff member at the Istanbul Faculty of Medicine (Çapa) 

Emergency Surgery Department, who allegedly spent about 

eight months secretly recording female colleagues in the restroom, 

was caught following the intervention of a nurse who discovered 

his actions. Numerous inappropriate images of his coworkers 

were found on his mobile phone; the suspect was subsequently 

arrested and sent to prison following a formal complaint. 

According to Güldane Çelik, a representative of the Health and 

Social Service Workers Union (SES), the suspect would follow 

female employees into the restroom and extend his phone—either 

from beneath or over the stall partition—to take photographs. 

The testimonies revealed the full extent of the situation. A nurse, 

having discovered this sickening behavior, caught the suspect 

with secret photographs of herself and other female staff members 

on his phone. Following the nurse’s prompt filing of a complaint, 

the staff member was immediately arrested. 

Highlighting the inadequacies within the hospital and the lack 

of spaces designed to protect employee privacy, Çelik stated: 

“The administration and hospital management bear responsibility 

for failing to provide a safe working environment that respects 

the privacy of their employees.”

********************************************************

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Habercim19 website, 22 October 2026)

The guys made it a point to attend.

The opening of a lingerie shop in the Alaca district of Çorum, which 

included prayers, quickly became a trending topic on social media. 

The opening ceremony was attended by Alaca Mayor Şerif Arslan, 

AKP Alaca District Chair Mücahit Gürsoy, and MHP Alaca District 

Chair İsa Duru.

Speaking to Odatv after the event gained traction on social media, 

Alaca Mayor Şerif Arslan stated, "We did not open an illicit business. 

We didn't even go inside. Doesn't everyone wear undergarments? 

People are just making things up by talking about 'fantasy' and the like."

Stating that they try to attend all the opening events to which they are 

invited, Arslan said, "We went there, too, simply because it was a place 

of business. The *hoca* [religious scholar/cleric] has somewhat e

xaggerated things. He is a retired imam himself, after all. Isn't it 

shameful to bring this up as if it were some sort of perverse fantasy? 

We didn't open an illicit establishment. Isn't this a legitimate, 

permissible necessity for people? Doesn't everyone wear this kind of 

undergarment? A local shopkeeper invited us, so we went."

"Teach & Release": School Teacher With Too Many Extracurricular Activities, in Ankara

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 22 October 2026)

                   Everyone wanted to be teacher's pet.

A scandalous development has emerged in an operation targeting

prostitution and drug-related offenses in Ankara. S.D., a woman 

who had been working as a primary school teacher at a private 

institution for four years, was arrested in connection with these 

crimes. Her lavish lifestyle, the vacations she took, and the 

high-end, latest-model vehicle she drove had drawn significant 

attention. (!)

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an 

extensive investigation into offenses including "drug trafficking," 

"facilitating the use of drugs or stimulants," "drug possession/

use," and "prostitution." 

As part of the investigation, police units conducted raids on 

several popular entertainment venues in the capital. A number 

of suspects—ranging from prominent businesspeople and their 

children to venue owners, celebrities, and individuals with ties 

to organized crime—were taken into custody, with many 

subsequently being placed under arrest. It was determined that 

these venues were being used for the sale of narcotics and the 

facilitation of prostitution.

S.D. has a funny way of getting the class's attention.

S.D., who had been working as a primary school teacher at a 

well-known private school in Ankara for four years, was also 

taken into custody as part of the investigation. Following police 

processing, she was brought before a court and arrested on 

charges related to "drugs and prostitution." It is alleged that S.D. 

had connections to the entertainment venues implicated in the 

drug and prostitution investigation and that she played a role 

in facilitating prostitution.

The arrest of primary school teacher S.D.—who had drawn 

attention for her luxurious lifestyle, frequent vacations, and the 

latest-model vehicle she drove—on charges related to prostitution 

and drugs, has come as a shock to the students' parents. (!)