Prehistoric rock paintings in the ancient city of Heraklia in the western province of Muğla’s Milas district cannot be protected, according to locals and experts. The paintings are from 8,000 years ago. Link

There was a 4.6 percent increase in the number of books published in Turkey in 2014 compared with the year before, but as far as content goes, the country's publishing industry should also seek to improve itself in terms of quality, according to the vice president of the Turkish Publishers Association (TYB), Fahri Aral. Link

Those wandering around the Aegean resort town of Bodrum looking for a cozy private plot of land entrenched in history might just be in luck, because a local real estate agency may have what they need: An ancient city dating back to the 5th century B.C. located near Güllük Bay on the northern coast of the Bodrum peninsula. Link

The İstanbul International Film Festival is launching a national competition section for documentary features in its upcoming edition this spring, the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), which organizes the annual festival, announced on Tuesday. Link

Artistic director Pravesh Kumar on directors’ low pay and theatre’s responsibility to represent Britain’s diversity. "Britain is a multicultural society, and if its artistic community cannot represent this, what hope do we have? I realise some organisations will find it hard when they are already pinched, but diversity does not always mean cost." Link

Only one of the new buildings is ready, its centrepiece artwork had to be dismantled after bits fell off – and people are more excited about getting their first Ikea. Is the Belgian city the final nail in the coffin for European capitals of culture? Link

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledged his support to the preservation of historical artifacts on Jan. 12, vowing to closely follow their restoration and revival both at home and abroad.The president’s remarks came during an opening ceremony for the newly-restored sections of the Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul. Link

The Turkish government’s infrastructure and restoration projects are worrying civil society representatives in the country, concerned that Istanbul’s historic sites could be removed from UNESCO’s world heritage list. Touching on these concerns, UNESCO Director General İrina Bokova has told the Hürriyet Daily News that her organization is “watching very closely what is happening.” Link

The number of tourists visiting the ancient city of Sardis in İzmir’s Salihli district has increased three fold over the last five years, thanks to promotional work. The ancient city was the capital of Lydia, the civilization that invented money. Link

UNESCO’s fourth Chair on Management and Promotion of World Heritage Sites was launched on Jan. 7 at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University.“From the historic areas of Istanbul, to the Selimiye Mosque, to the rock sites of Cappadocia … each of these sites has special meaning for the people of this country … each is also part of the wider history of humanity,” said Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, at a signing ceremony at the university. Link