Indian color fest to be held in Istanbul, Ankara

Holi, also known as the festival of colors, will be held in Ankara and Istanbul this year, Indian Ambassador to Turkey Sanjay Bhattacharyya has said.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) following an Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) event in Ankara, Bhattacharyya praised the bonds of brotherhood and friendship between Turkey and India.

"Holi, the festival of colors, marks the advent of spring and the Indian new year. It is a time for all Indians, irrespective of race, religion or language, to come together to celebrate through song and dance and merriment," Bhattacharyya said.

He said younger people have more fun during the festival but everyone is welcome to take part in this joyous event. "We are collaborating with a Turkish group to celebrate Holi in Istanbul and shall also have Holi in Ankara, but a few weeks later, when the sun is warmer," the ambassador said.

He added that cultural relations between Turkey and India have grown in recent years. "Today, we do business, travel to each other's countries, eat food together and share stories of our achievements. This strengthens our friendship. We even have weddings in Antalya or Goa, a mark of the close affinity that has grown between us," he said.

Bhattacharyya said the Indian Embassy is preparing to host a cultural festival named "India by the Bosphorus" in four different Turkish cities. "Featuring the diversity of our cultural forms, the festival will build new bridges to connect our peoples closer together. Like the festival of Holi, ‘India by the Bosphorus' will bring joy and happiness to all," he added.

The ICCR is an autonomous Indian organization that actively participates in the formulation and implementation of policies and programs pertaining to India's external relations, fostering and strengthening cultural relations and people, and developing relationships between nations.

It was found by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India, in 1950.

The arrivals of Indian tourists in Turkey significantly increased in 2018, skyrocketing by 80 percent compared to the previous year, Bhattacharyya has said. According to the Culture and Tourism Ministry, around 147,127 Indian tourists visited Turkey last year, up from 86,996 in 2017 and 79,316 in 2016.

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How Cihangir cool changed Istanbul - Pamuk

The streets of Istanbul, largely empty in the wake of several terrorist attacks and the failed coup of 2016, now throng with life again, Turkish Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk said in The Telegraph.

“In spite of the political situation, the city has managed to rediscover its colours and crowds,” Pamuk wrote in the U.K. newspaper on Monday . “The Cihangir-Çukurcuma neighbourhoods where I have lived for the past 20 years are gradually coming to life. I’m pleased with these developments; it is gratifying to find that even in these dark days people from all over the world are still interested in you.”

In the 1950s, no tourist would ever visit these neighborhoods, which were predominantly Greek until the city’s Greeks were driven out in the 1960s. Back then, a local who wanted meze or a book would have to walk up to Taksim or Istiklal, recalled Pamuk.

“Today, these same streets are full of meze bars, bookshops, antiques stores, art galleries, coffee shops, design stores, junk dealers, and a proliferation of restaurants and tourists,” he wrote.

He grew up in Nişantaşı, a wealthy district near Taksim, which he hardly visits since moving to Cihangir in 1994. “When I moved there in the 90's, you could still see transvestites and sex workers out in the afternoons, doing their grocery shopping,” said Pamuk. “Then, at the start of the 2000s, the character of Cihangir was suddenly transformed.”

Publishers previously based in the old city centre, on the far side of the Golden Horn, moved to Beyoğlu, according to Pamuk. Then the advertising studios, wine shops, second-hand bookstores and cafés started appearing.

Western businesspeople, diplomats, and foreign correspondents had already begun to move to the neighbourhood, renting top-floor flats with extraordinary views of Topkapı Palace, the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the Bosporus.

“At the same time a section of Istanbul’s wealthy classes realised that nowhere else would they find a more magnificent vista of the old city and of the mouth of the Bosporus, so they too moved to Cihangir,” said Pamuk.

“All this fostered the development of a relatively tolerant culture in Cihangir, diverging from the more conservative norm, in which you could have a drink outside, and buy newspapers from all over the world. For the first time in the city’s history, in keeping with this changing culture, ‘green’ restaurants appeared, fish restaurants weren’t just confined to the waterfront, cafés began serving brunch on Sundays, bars came in different types, and restaurants served modernised versions of traditional dishes, accompanying them with alcohol,” he explained.

Tiny fish restaurants popped up in narrow alleys, serving four or five tables at most. Pamuk could call in the evening and they would send over their catch of the day, grilled and with a salad on the side, he said.

“But what makes Cihangir so fascinating to me, and such a paradise for endless walks and window shopping, is the rapid transformation and expansion that Cukurcuma’s small, shabby, dirty flea market experienced in the early 2000s,” wrote Pamuk. Shops that used to sell old mattresses, broken chairs, and used jeans now offer vintage clothing and humble antiques, with an enormous selection of old photographs and ephemera.

Cihangir is situated halfway down an avenue that was meant to link Taksim to a ferry pier on the Golden Horn, but that avenue was never built, so Cihangir became a quiet place, insulated from the din of the city.

Pamuk spent a lot of time walking around the area while researching his books, and heard that silence. He recalls one spot, at the top of a stairway on a slope lined with dozing stray cats, that offered an exceptional view over the Bosporus, the Maiden’s Tower, and the Uskudar neighbourhood on the city’s Asian side.  

“I would sit at a table under one of the tall trees near the Firuz Ağa Mosque, outside a café or a flatbread shop, and quietly read my newspaper and write in my notebook,” said Pamuk. “It cheered me to see so many familiar faces around me from literary, artistic, and political circles, and to know that most of them were freedom-loving people critical of the government and sympathetic to Europe. It made me feel proud of being from Cihangir.”

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Turkish tourism sector eyes int'l congresses

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas and Tuba Sahin

ANKARA

Turkey is holding high hopes for the future in the field of congress tourism, representatives of the sector said on Sunday.

Timur Bayindir, head of the Hotel Association of Turkey (TUROB) told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview that the country and its most popular touristic destination Istanbul will reenter the routes to international events this year.

"Congress tourism requires long-term planning, as the proposals for the organizations to be held in 2021 and 2022 have already been received," Timur Bayindir said.

"Turkey will return to its former world ranking position if we don't experience any negativity in the next 2-3 years," he said.

Pointing the development of congress tourism in Turkey in the last decade, Bayindir said: "In 2013, which was a record-year, Turkey hosted 221 international meetings to become the 18th country in the world."

He noted that the leading countries in this field are the U.S., Germany, and the U.K., while the prominent cities are Barcelona, Vienna, Paris, Berlin, and London.

Turkey has no security issue

"Turkey suffered from the cancellation of many approved organizations over the past three years following a fabricated negative security perception.

"As of 2016, the country lost its place in the top 10 and Istanbul couldn't hold its rank among the first 20 cities in the world," Bayindir said.

TUROB's head stressed that there is no security issue in Turkey, where the quality of service/accommodation is first-class.

"Increasing tourism revenue is more important than tourist numbers," he said. "We have not yet reached the desired price levels compared to European cities."

To promote congress tourism, Bayindir suggested that value-added tax exemptions on international events would be beneficial for attracting visitors with high-income level.

Last year, Turkey welcomed 39.5 million foreign visitors, as the country's tourism revenues reached $29.5 billion.

"Bleisure" gives Turkey advantages

Selcuk Boynuegri, vice chairman of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB), told Anadolu Agency that Turkey will see a recovery in congress tourism sector which was negatively affected by political incidents.

"Leading international congresses will be held in Turkey this year and in the upcoming years," Boynuegri said.

He pointed out that congress tourism yields more revenue compared to individual and package tours.

"The world average congress delegate expenditure is around $2,200 per events.

"If Turkey's congress tourism income rises to the world average, it can give acceleration in the general tourism revenues," he said.

Boynuegri noted that more than half of international congresses and meetings are held in Europe.

Asserting the shining trend of "bleisure" -- the combination of business and leisure trips -- Boynuegri said this concept gives Turkey advantages to be preferred.

"Turkey's historical, cultural and natural beauties along with the technological infrastructure of hotels, congresses and event centers may make the country a key destination in this field," he added.

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Turkey tops 33 European countries in tourism growth

Turkey was the top performing tourist destination in 2018 and recorded the highest growth in the number of tourists among 33 European countries. According to the European Travel Commission's (ETC) "European Tourism in 2018: Trends & Prospects" report, the number of tourists visiting Turkey last year hit an all-time high and increased by 22 percent year-on-year. The report added that the number of tourists visiting the country exceeded 40 million for the first time and totaled 47 million in 2018.

The ETC highlighted that Turkey recovered quickly from the effects of the July 15, 2016, coup attempt. It added that the country saw a significant increase in the arrivals, particularly from Russia. Accordingly, the number of Russians visiting Turkey was 1.7 million higher than prior peak levels. Some 6.4 million Russian tourists visited Turkey in 2018.

The report also noted that hotels have been able to increase average room rates (ADR) in both Turkish lira and euro terms – in the month of December as well as in 2018 as a whole and that Turkey remains amongst the cheapest destinations within the accommodation dataset.

"The reversion to norms in terms of market share of Mediterranean destinations outlined in the last quarterly report appears to be continuing, with Turkey continuing to regain market share," it said.

The report added that Turkey saw growth in arrivals from Germany of 25.6 percent over January to November 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. Turkey is expecting record German arrivals in 2019.

On the other hand, British tourists have also flocked back to Turkey with the Turkish lira declining in value more than sterling. Arrivals were up 36.5 percent in the period January to November compared to the same months in 2017, the report noted.

"Growth of U.S. arrivals in Turkey was also very strong at 32.0 percent based on data to November," it said. Among others, Turkey continued to benefit from China's announcement of 2018 as "Turkey Tourism Year," with arrivals up by 67.1 percent on a year earlier. "As with most non-European source markets, there was strong growth of 74.4 percent in the number of Indian tourists visiting in Turkey. Turkey has been targeting the Indian wedding tourism market in particular," the report noted.

The ETC said that despite Europe's economic growth prospects faltering in recent months travel growth too, from, and within the region was robust in 2018, according to the latest available data. Thirty-two of 33 reporting destinations welcomed more arrivals and/or overnights compared to a year ago. Only the U.K. reported declines.

It highlighted that European tourism demand remained on solid footing with a 6 percent upswing in international tourist arrivals in 2018 over the year prior. "The most visited region in the world was able to sustain growth despite downside risks stemming from trade tensions, uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the economic slowdown in the Euro Area and China, all keeping 2019 growth prospects in question," it said. Virtually all reporting destinations (32 out of 33) registered some form of expansion, ETC said.

Following Turkey, Serbia and Malta were the countries registering the highest increase in the number of tourists in 2018, both with 15 percent. They were followed by Montenegro with 14 percent and Latvia, which was the only Central/Eastern European destination that enjoyed double-digit expansion, at 10 percent. "The U.K. [-5.3 percent] was the only market in negative territory," the report noted.

Among others, travel demand from the U.S. remained on firm footing. Growth from this market was fueled by a strengthened U.S. dollar against the euro and sterling, both increasing Europe's affordability as a tourism destination.

"In 2018 European destinations welcomed around 33 million international tourist arrivals from this market, up 8 percent from the previous year. The U.S. outbound travel, however, is expected to slow down owing to its decelerating economic momentum and consumer spending," the report read.

ETC said expansion continues in the eurozone, however, adverse risks such as tensions in financial markets, uncertainty surrounding the U.K.'s divorce plans from the EU and worrisome forward-looking indicators bear on growth prospects for 2019.

"Notwithstanding, the European tourism industry has yet again proved resilient in 2018 and accounts for over half [51 percent] of worldwide tourist arrivals. Looking ahead, growth in international tourist arrivals to the region is expected to hover around 3 percent in 2019," it added.

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SA tourism roadshow to target Turkish travel trade

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa's national tourism agency is set to conduct a roadshow for the first time in Istanbul, Turkey, to create platforms for access to that market, it said on Thursday.

The January 30 roadshow will provide 11 operators, including small, medium and micro-enterprises, an opportunity to engage with approximately 50 specially selected Middle East and Turkish travel trade companies, South African Tourism said in a statement.

It will the 23rd East Mediterranean International Tourism & Travel exhibition in Instabul, at which SA Tourism and trade partner will participate.

"Turkey is a strategically important market to SA Tourism as it is a springboard to the rest of the Middle East, India, and South East Asia region," SA Tourism said.

Factors that make South Africa an attractive destination for Turkish visitors include the fact that there are no visa requirements for travellers from both ends, and for Turkish tourists there is favourable airlift, said Sthembiso Dlamini, SA Tourism’s chief operating officer.

"This means there are direct flights from Turkey to South Africa with Turkish Airlines coupled with a sufficient number of frequencies offered by other airlines," Dlamini said.

"This has led to 12 139 Turkish tourist arrivals between January and October 2018, a 2.4 percent increase from the previous year."

Studies show that Turkish families visit South Africa for the culture, scenic beauty, beaches and safaris, while young tourists tend to be drawn by action and adventure tours.

Halaal tourism is also a factor. Since most Turkish travellers are Muslim, South Africa is well positioned to cater to their needs through a wide array of halaal restaurants and eateries across all nine provinces.

South Africa was ranked among the top 10 most Muslim-friendly travel destinations for 2018 by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in the annual MasterCard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index.

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U.S. ally Turkey looks to Russia and Iran to protect its interests

WASHINGTON — As Trump administration officials presided over the second day of an international conference in Warsaw dominated by calls to ratchet up pressure on Iran, one longtime U.S. ally and NATO member was noticeably absent — Turkey.

Snubbing the gathering in Poland, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday attended a rival conference in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, where he planned to meet his Russian and Iranian counterparts to work out a final settlement of the war in Syria.

The dueling summits illustrate President Donald Trump's struggle to forge a united front against Iran, and reflect Turkey's drift away from Washington as it finds common ground with Moscow and Tehran, experts and former officials said.

Erdogan: 'John Bolton has made a very serious mistake'

JAN. 9, 201900:47

For decades, the U.S. could count on Turkey as a reliable partner that would line up with other allies against Iran and support Washington's strategic goals. But the political landscape has changed, U.S. influence in the region is in doubt, and Ankara is staking out an independent course, said Colin Clarke, senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, a New York-based think tank.

"I think we're seeing a realignment," Clarke told NBC News. "The U.S. has gone from the position where we called the shots, to where we are making mere suggestions to Turkey. That's a major sea change."

Turkey's relations with Washington have come under mounting strain since Erdogan was elected president in 2014, as the Turkish leader has pushed back on U.S. policies and carried out a crackdown on dissent. But the conflict in Syria has opened up the most dramatic divide between the two countries, with Ankara infuriated at Washington's support for Kurdish forces in Syria, which it sees as a terrorist threat.

When national security adviser John Bolton flew to Ankara in January, Erdogan refused to meet him and expressed outrage at U.S. demands that Turkey refrain from launching strikes against Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria.

Civilians wait at a makeshift checkpoint after fleeing ISIS from the Syrian city of Bagouz on Feb. 9, 2019.Chris McGrath / Getty Images

"We cannot swallow . . . the message that Bolton gave in Israel," the Turkish president said, and added that Bolton "probably doesn't know" the difference between ethnic Kurds and armed Kurdish groups.

With the U.S. planning to withdraw its small contingent of 2,000 troops in Syria within months, Turkey has recognized for some time it must reach an accommodation with Russia and Iran to safeguard its interests in Syria, experts said.

"The real power brokers in Syria are Iran and Russia," said Ilan Goldenberg, a former senior official under the Obama administration and now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a think tank.

The three countries meeting in Sochi have emerged as the dominant players in what appears to be the final phase of the Syrian civil war. Russia and Iran came to the aid of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad and have succeeded in turning the tide of the conflict in Assad's favor.

A Syrian Democratic Forces fighter stands guard on a rooftop after retaking the city of Raqqa from ISIS fighters on Oct. 20, 2017.Bulent Kilic / AFP/Getty Images file

Turkey cultivated Islamist rebel groups opposed to Assad that have been beaten back for the most part. But Russia and Iran need Turkey's help in squelching the rebels in their last strongholds in the northern province of Idlib, and Ankara needs Russian and Iranian cooperation to ensure Kurdish forces are kept in check and to pave the way for Syrian refugees to return, former U.S. diplomats said.

"I am confident that our trilateral summit on Syria will provide a new impulse toward stabilization in this country," Putin said before the talks began in Sochi.

In discussions with Ankara, U.S. officials have revived the idea of a protected "buffer zone" for the Kurds in the northeast, but Erdogan has said any such area would have to be coordinated with Russia.

When an uprising erupted in Syria in 2011, Erdogan had hoped to see Assad fall. But Turkey has since come to accept that Assad is firmly in place, and that the Syrian regime's patrons — Russia and Iran — will be needed to prevent a Kurdish state forming on Turkey's southern border, said Aykan Erdemir, a member of the Turkish parliament from 2011-2015.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media at the parliament in Ankara on Jan. 8, 2019.Burhan Ozbilici / AP

"Turkey realizes it has lost in Syria. And the Kurdish issue has always been the top priority for Turkey," said Erdemir, now a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish think tank. And that "means you have to work with Russia," he said.

As U.N. peace talks on Syria foundered in recent years despite backing from the United States, Turkey joined up with Russia and Iran for an alternative peace process that soon overshadowed the U.N. effort, a result that made the United States look impotent, foreign diplomats and experts said.

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China issues Turkey safety alert after Ankara’s ‘vile’ statements about treatment of Uygurs in Xinjiang

The Chinese embassy in Ankara advised residents and tourists travelling to Turkey to “be wary and pay attention to their personal safety”.

Turkey on Sunday described China’s treatment of its Muslim ethnic Uygur people as “a great embarrassment for humanity”, prompting a strong rebuke.

Beijing said that the Turkish criticisms were “vile”, and that Turkey should have a proper understanding of the legal efforts made by China to fight terrorism and extremism within its borders effectively.

China has already issued warnings to Canada and Sweden – where relations with Beijing have nosedived – in a move analysts described as an expression of displeasure.

China and Canada have been at loggerheads since the arrest on December 1 of Huawei executive Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, whom the US wants to extradite on fraud charges. Meng has since been released on bail in Vancouver.

Uygur man, detained in Turkey for suspected terror links, wary of China’s reach

In January, against the background of Meng’s situation, China issued a warning of the risk of travelling to Canada, hours after Ottawa issued a similar alert.

A notice by the Chinese foreign ministry said citizens should be aware of the risk of being “arbitrarily detained at the request of a third nation” in Canada, and urged caution when making travel plans.

In December, China issued a travel alert warning its citizens about the risks of visiting Sweden.

The two sides have long been at odds over human rights, but in early September a group of Chinese tourists claimed they had been mistreated by the Swedish police, an incident that generated a fierce backlash.

China and Sweden are also at odds over Beijing’s detention of Gui Minhai, a Chinese-born Swedish citizen and publisher of books critical of China’s leadership.

Transcript of Gui Minhai’s government-arranged interview: ‘Swedish government used me’

“The statement made by the Chinese embassy is a countermeasure on the Turkish government,” said analyst Li Mingjiang, an associate professor at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

“It is a message telling the Turkish government that you should not say too much about the internal affairs in China, otherwise economic relationships, tourism, this sort of thing, could be affected.”

Analysts said that while there was a potential risk for Chinese citizens in Turkey, the situation was not grave.

“People making transfer flights in Istanbul will not have to worry,” said Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at Beijing’s Renmin University. “But there may be increased risk for Chinese tourists travelling deep into the country from Muslim groups such as the Turkestan Islamic Party after Turkey’s strong stance.”

“I think it will have an impact on a very small number of tourists,” Li said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: China issues safety alert for visitors to Turkey as row over Uygurs escalates

Iran, Turkey to cooperate in tourism industry

By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

Iran and Turkey will cooperate in tourism industry. This is provided for by the relevant document signed between the head of the Trade Union of the Chiefs of Offices of Iranian passenger services and tourism, Hormatullah Raffia and the head of the Association of Travel Agencies of Turkey (Tursab), Firuz Baglykaya.

Each year, eight million tourists travel from Turkey and Iran to overseas, Trend reports.

So, about 60 percent of eight million Iranian tourists go to Turkey and Iraq. About 320,000 tourists come to Iran from Turkey,” Raffia said.

The head of the union said that Iran intends to reach a balance with Turkey in the movement of tourist flow.

At the signing ceremony, the head of Tursab Firuz Baglykaya said that there is no balance between the two countries in the tourism sector. For creation of it there is work to do.

Baglykaya stated that the tourism potential of Turkey will be presented at the Tehran Tourism Exhibition.

In addition, the head of Tursab expressed confidence that the signing of the agreement will lead to an increase in tourist flow to Iran and Turkey.

So, from economic point of view Turkey has more actual resources to promote tourism and keep its advantage over the Iran in tourist flow. There are several reasons of this noticeable gap between the number of tourist visiting both of the countries, but main reason is well-established tourism oriented policy of Turkey, which allows to realize whole existing potential of the country and develop this sector by extensive and intensive ways.

There are plenty of  reforms, which have been implemented in the Iran towards  simplification of the procedure for obtaining entry visas, in particular, the practice of issuing 30-day visas directly to Iranian airports for citizens of 180 countries has been introduced, and an online hotel booking system for Iran operates. Visas can now be obtained electronically from Iranian consulates or international airports.

Additionally, taking into account that Iran is the center of Shiite Islam - is one of the main centers of Muslim pilgrimage, so religious tourism is very developed and the most important place from this point of view is the city of Mashhad which attracts a huge number of Iranian and foreign tourists (a total of more than 4 million people a year).

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Turkey has a new government system and a new Tourism Minister

Turkey has officially switched to an executive presidency after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took the oath of office yesterday and announced the first cabinet under new presidential system.

Founder of Etstur Mehmet Ersoy becomes the new Tourism Minister of Turkey.

Born in Istanbul in 1968, Mehmet Ersoy, graduated from Istanbul German High School in 1987 and then moved to the business world by establishing Etstur in 1991 with Murat Ersoy, his twin brother. Starting their tour operator business from scratch, Mehmet Ersoy and his brother Murat Ersoy succeeded in taking Etstur to top in a short period while continuing to grow in the hotel management and tourism industries. Etsgroup operates a total of 13 five-star hotels with 12,000-bed capacity including a hotel chain of seven Voyage hotels, two Maxx Royal Resorts hotels in Bodrum and Antalya as well as Elexus Hotels & Resorts & Spa in Kemer and TRNC.

Etstur also hosts many brands under its roof; Didimtur; a travel agency serving for large masses, Jetset; a boutique travel agency preparing personal and luxury travel programs, Ucuzabilet.com; a web site selling affordable domestic and international flight tickets, Otelpuan.com, a web site featuring objective reviews of the guests about the properties, etstur.com/letsgo, online journal of Etstur covering articles and posts on travel trends and culture, Etsmice, a brand providing corporate traveling services, events, fairs etc.

In 2004, Etsgroup acquired 50 percent of the shares of Atlasjet, founded by Öger Holding, stepping into the aviation industry and it purchased all the shares of the airline in February 2006. Reaching a significant a position in the private airline business in a short period thanks to service-oriented rather than cost-based business mentality, the company moves forward under the name Atlasglobal due to an overhaul of its corporate identity in 2015.

Turkey’s new presidential governmental system has abolished the Prime Ministry and transferred all executive authority of the Prime Ministry office to the president, who will have sweeping powers, from appointing state officials to declaring state of emergency by presidential decrees, lacking considerable monitoring by parliament.

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