The opposition in Turkey scored a historic victory in the local elections on March 31. Out of 10 metropolitan areas, only 3 remain for the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of President Recep Erdogan, journalist Ibrahim Karahasan-Çanar commented for BNR. The victories of the opposition in Istanbul and Ankara are particularly significant. There is also a breakthrough in Bursa. 

Analysts note that Turkey has dawned with a new map of the political space, in which the red color of the main opposition Kemalist People's Republican Party prevails, instead of the orange color of the AKP, which has dominated for more than 20 years. Ekrem Imamoglu, re-elected mayor of Istanbul with a population of 16 million, won the post for a second term with an even more impressive result, dashing Erdogan's hope for AKP to regain control of the city. Karahasan-Çanar called the opposition's victory "the spring of Turkish democracy". He predicted that Imamoglu and Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas would be strong figures in Turkish politics. "In the future, I see them in the post of president or prime minister," emphasized Karahasan-Canar.

Kosovo and Serbia have failed to agree on the use of the Serbian dinar in Kosovo, where it has been banned since February 1. An agreement has not been reached even after a third consecutive meeting on April 4 in Brussels with the participation of the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, and a new meeting on the matter is forthcoming.

Kosovo adopted the euro as its official currency in 2002, although it is not a member of the eurozone, but payment in Serbian dinars was also allowed. From February 1 this year following a decision by the Central Bank of Kosovo, the euro became the only currency for cash payments. This caused an uproar among the local Serbian community, which receives Serbian salaries and pensions in dinars in Kosovo. The EU and US criticized the dinar decision, saying it was taken without prior consultation and without considering its negative impact on the Serbian community in Kosovo.

Since the beginning of April, road tolls on the highways have been in force in Greece, which are about 35% higher, Katia Peeva, the BNR correspondent in Greece, reported. The toll fee from Kulata to Thessaloniki has been increased from 3.60 euros to 4.15 euros. When traveling by ferry from Igoumenitsa, the price of the toll from Kulata border checkpoint to the Greek port is 15.55 euros instead of the previous 12.60 euros. From Thessaloniki to Alexandroupolis there is also an increase of 30%.

The change in prices comes as a result of the new concession contract for the Egnatia Motorway and the three vertical road axes connecting Greece with Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Albania.