TURKEY VISITS & HOLIDAYS

Turkey Welcomes You!

2008-11-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

Istanbul Promotional Film

2008-02-15T13:42:00.000-08:00

Turkey ready to befriend Africa

2008-02-13T12:22:00.001-08:00

By Richard Gueli and Oguzhan Kase

Until now, you've probably thought that Turkey isn't that important to South Africa - after all, Turkey is "far away".

Indeed, Turkey's geographic position is significant for Europe, primarily as a bridge between East and West, but not for South Africa. And Turkey's main concerns have to do with its membership of the European Union, not with Africa.

So why bother talking Turkey? First, Turkey has globalised. As a candidate for the EU, it has rapidly modernised and actively promotes its foreign trade.

Second, the Turkish economy is growing at about 7 percent a year and is the 17th largest in the world.

Third, because its geopolitical interests are broadening, Turkey is increasingly looking to the East and South for new friends.

These are all important reasons for Africa to get cosy with Ankara. But how interested is Ankara in Africa? A lot more than you might think. As early as 1998 the Turkish government drafted a plan, called "Opening up to Africa", to intensify its ties with the continent. Then, under the new leadership of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey declared Africa as a priority area for investment in 2005.

As part of this drive, Turkey promised last year to boost its trade volume with Africa, from $12-billion (about R90-billion) in 2006 to $30-billion (R225-billion) by 2010; and in January Erdogan announced that Turkey would open up new embassies in 10 African capitals.

Ferhat Ataman, the outgoing Turkish ambassador to South Africa, explains that Turkey's interest in stronger ties with Africa should prove durable because it is keen to pursue a more "holistic" foreign policy strategy.

Access to Africa's resources, such as oil and industrial raw materials, is another important factor motivating Turkey.

Central to Turkey's Africa plan is South Africa, its largest trade partner in sub-Saharan Africa. Today, relations between the two countries are good, but they weren't always that amicable in the past, explains Tom Wheeler, a former South African ambassador to Turkey and now a research fellow at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg.

In a study on Turkish-South Africa relations, Wheeler highlights several factors that dogged relations, including the famous rejection of Nelson Mandela of the Atatark Peace Prize in 1991.

"The Turks," he writes, "could not imagine that anyone would decline an honour that bore the name of the father of their nation."

Indeed, Atatark is to his country what Mandela is to ours.

Relations warmed up again when Jacob Zuma, now the ANC president, visited Turkey in October 2003 - an act meant to symbolise a "new mood" of conciliation. Two years later Erdogan returned the favour, visiting South Africa in March 2005. These visits resulted in the signing of bilateral agreements and helped to improve trade.

Figures from the Turkish Statistics Institute show total trade volumes rose from $449-million in 2003 to $2,5-billion in 2007. And although the balance of trade is heavily in our favour, Turkish exports to South Africa have more than quadrupled since 2003, rising from $121-million to $571-million in 2007.

There are more signs of rapprochement, especially from Turkey's side. Towards the middle of the year, Turkey will send a military attaché to South Africa for the first time. The Turks are apparently enthusiastic about greater defence co-operation with South Africa.

Turkey also plans to engage with South Africa regarding its experiences as a non-permanent member on the United Nations security council. Turkey is a candidate for a seat on the council in 2009.

To boost tourism, Turkish Airlines resumed its Istanbul-Johannesburg-Cape Town route in September (flights were stopped in March 2003). And as of February, South Africans who wish to visit Turkey may acquire visas at Istanbul's international airport for tourist or business purposes for less than 30 days.

Both Turkey and South Africa face a common problem standing in the way of closer relations: lack of information.

"South Africa doesn't know much about Turkey; Turkey doesn't know much about South Africa," remarked Sobizana Mngqikna, also a former South African ambassador to Turkey, before being redeployed for Finland late last year.

Wheeler also spoke about an information gap: "The big problem is indifference, especially in South Africa. Although there's been a change of attitude lately, the government doesn't believe that Turkey is an important trade partner."

For example, since 2000 Turkey has been pushing for a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Africa, but a deal has yet to be finalised. Sealing a deal would be important, because Turkish agreements with other countries, including Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, have helped to boost bilateral relations and double trade volumes.

Turkey has much to offer South Africa and Africa in general, and because the Turkish way of doing business is different from the way business is done, say, in Washington, Brussels or Beijing. By "different", we mean possibly better.

For a start, Turkish investors are less risk-averse than their western or eastern counterparts. So, Turkish companies, if invited, would be willing to operate in unstable post-conflict regions - and Africa has many of those.

Turkish investments in Africa are growing and are extending beyond raw materials to other areas where infrastructure development is needed. Last year Karsad Tazmen, the Turkish state minister who is in charge of foreign trade, announced that Turkish investments, in sectors such as textiles, transportation, trade and tourism, would rise to $4-billion dollars in the next three years.

The point is that Turkey seems to understand that business, and not charity, is the best way to unleash Africa's untapped wealth - and this, in our opinion, is the way to go.

An enterprising, risk-taking and even-handed partner is what Africa needs and also what South Africa, on many occasions, has shown it wants. Perhaps it's time we took Turkey more seriously than we have up to now.

Turkish tourism more popular than ever among Ukrainians

2008-02-13T12:20:00.001-08:00

As Ukrainians’ incomes grow, so does their interest in traveling abroad, with Turkey emerging as a top tourist destination.

In 2007, more than 590,000 Ukrainians traveled to Turkey, a 22 percent increase from the prior year and 56 percent higher than 2005, according to Ahmet Canga, the attache for cultural and information affairs at the Turkish Embassy in Ukraine.

Ukraine boasts a handful of big companies offering services to Turkey, including Tourism International Services (founded in 2003), Adore Tour (1996), Karya Tour (2003), and Turtess Travel (2002), as well as many smaller firms, most of which are Turkish owned and operated.

“When we started our business in Ukraine, we organized about 20 flights to Antalya per week,” said Adore Tour director Ali Altunbas, referring to the attractive resort region on the country’s southern coast. “Nowadays, the number of flights is between 40 and 50 per week.”

Altunbas’ company served more than half of all Ukrainians visiting Turkey last year. Other Turkish tour operators include Teztour, Pegas Touristik, Pan Ukraine, Mugla Odessa Intertrade Ltd., Adriyatik, and Anex Tour.

More than 60,000 tourists travelled to Turkey in 2007 with Karya Tour, said Tatyana Shakulo, the company’s project manager.

“Every year, we increase our client volume by 40 percent,” she said. “And this is a common tendency for the Turkish destination on the Ukrainian market.”

Meanwhile, tours are limited, and operators are trying to find ways to accommodate the bigger interest, said Mila Vorontsova, the head of the marketing department of Turtess Travel.

Prices are increasing as the number of interested tourists grows, rising between 10 and 15 percent annually in recent years, market players said.

Turkey’s integration with the European Union has raised standards, making services more expensive, Shakulo said.

Turkey offers cheaper prices for high quality services, industry players said, making the country more attractive than European resorts and even Crimea, Altunbas said.

“The main reason why Ukrainians prefer Turkey to Crimea is that the class of services for tourists in Turkey is obviously higher,” he said.

“You can notice it in the hotels. They are more comfortable, convenient, and modern than Ukrainian ones. The sea is more pure and salty and much more healthy for the skin.”

Traditionally, Turkey attracts tourists interested in recreation, as well as the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage.

Business travelers, cultural tourists, and the beach crowd are the main types of Ukrainian tourists, said Kerim Hekim, the founder of Tourism International Services.

Most prefer resort regions such as Antalya, Bodrum, and Marmaris, and a certain percent of them come to Istanbul for shopping, he said.

Burgeoning Turkish tourism trends include business, health, ecotourism, faith, education, culture, sea, adventure, sport, and thermal and spa resorts, Canga said.

Tour operators even recently began offering winter tours with the possibility of skiing, Vorontsova said.

Meanwhile, Turkish hoteliers are building new alternative “theme” hotels with their own style, Shakulo said.

Turkey’s main tourism competitors, particularly for Ukrainian tourists, are primarily Egypt, but also Tunisia, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Montenegro.

To compete, Turkish tour firms offer more modern technologies and professionalism, rather than lowering prices, Vorontsova said.

“I don’t think Ukrainian tour operators propose lower or higher prices than Turkish tour operators do,” she said. “All are competitors and understand that dumping prices doesn’t offer the possibility to profit, and making prices higher leads to client loss.”

The main challenge for Turkish tour operators is “a lack of air companies and transport to support charter programs,” Shakulo said.

Ukrainian legislation only allows domestic airlines to provide flights to Turkey, Altunbas said.

Meanwhile, airports are poorly developed, even in Ukraine’s largest cities, Shakulo said.

The psychology and behavior of Ukrainian clients presents a particular challenge to tour operators, Hekim said.

“The Ukrainian tradition is to try to get the best service by not spending money,” he said.

For example, Ukrainians will pay for a cheap three-star hotel and expect five-star service, even quarreling with the tourist agent if they come back disappointed, Hekim said.

Nevertheless, Turkish businessmen are optimistic on further business development in Ukraine.

“The Turkish government lately placed attention on cultural and historical tourism and tried to share it with its close neighbor, Ukraine,” he said.

“Turkey is a land with different cultures that developed for a long time and left after themselves a rich history. That’s why we see a bright future for this trend of tourism.”

Turkish tourism forecast: Smooth sailing ahead

2008-02-13T10:56:00.001-08:00

When Turkey's largest tourism fair, the Eastern Mediterranean Tourism and Travel Fair (EMITT), starts tomorrow in İstanbul, Turkey's hotelkeepers can sit back and relax.

Following a problematic year in 2006 Turkey's tourism appears stronger than ever. "We look back on a very strong performance in 2007 and expect an even more successful coming year," says Timur Bayındır, chairman of Turkish Hoteliers' Association (TUROB), in an interview with Today's Zaman.
TUROB boasts a wide range of members from the hotel business, with most of Turkey's four to five-star hotels represented. Although the fair will focus on İstanbul, the association is open to members from all of Turkey and holds events in many cities, including Bodrum, Ankara, İzmir, Van, Kayseri and the Turkish Riviera. Its mission is to enable Turkey's tourism to improve by conducting research on the sector and its problems, all the while searching for solutions.

TUROB works in close cooperation with relevant offices, organizations, corporations, companies and individuals. It is in continuous and active contact with the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and other political authorities.

2007 was an extraordinarily good year

The current Turkish hotel business situation is "very, very good," Bayındır says. 2007 has already been "extraordinarily good," he says, "but in the coming year, we will exceed these results and grow further."

Indeed, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Turkey is among the 10 most popular tourist destinations worldwide. With an increase of about 18 percent in tourists visiting Turkey in 2007, the country's tourism market is growing at a rate above the world average and is one of the Mediterranean region's most promising vacation spots.

Decrease of VAT a ‘big success,’ infrastructure problematic

The Turkish tourism sector is well set up, Bayındır says, but he raises several concerns. He cites high energy prices and the weakening dollar as perpetual issues. Additionally, he blames a new fee that requires hotels to pay royalties for music they use in their facilities. "Since this regulation was introduced two or three years ago, many establishments did away with music altogether," he says. Another one of Turkey's problems is infrastructure. Traffic in Turkey is a growing problem as is reaching the country. More regular flights are needed, he insists.

On the other hand, a decrease in the value-added tax (VAT) by the government has already become an incentive to help the tourism business, he says, adding that this decision is considered a success by his organization. "Decreasing VAT has always been one of our members' biggest demands -- and we have succeeded in lowering it," he says, confirming that it has already produced positive results. "If there had been no decrease, we would have been forced to increase prices," he states, "and the prices still remain our primary incentive."

This also shows increased demand by foreign investors, who show growing interest in southern Anatolia, namely, Konya, Mersin and Kayseri. İstanbul remains the focal point for most foreign investment, however, "In the near future, 20,000 beds will be available in İstanbul, all of which will be at high-end hotels. With this new addition, İstanbul's total capacity will increase to 70,000 beds," Bayındır says.

"These investments are very good for Turkey," he underlines. International corporations bring not only their own clients with them but usually seek ways to integrate with Turkish companies. "Administration and organization are usually carried out by the investor, while the whole operational aspect of the business is done by Turks," Bayındır explains. "All in all, Turkey is organized well, and we look optimistically at the year ahead of us," he concludes.

Zaman

Fare of the Country: Savory Street Food of Istanbul

2008-01-09T07:15:00.001-08:00

By RITA L. CALDERON; RITA L. CALDERON IS A WRITER WHO LIVES IN NEW YORK.
Published: June 4, 1989

LEAD: CLOSE your eyes and try to call forth the sounds of Turkey. Surely you hear the muezzin's ancient call to prayer from atop the minarets. Were you there, you might also hear a sound just as ancient, the the street hawker's call to food. Pushcarts are a way of life in Turkey, and nowhere is this truer than in Istanbul.

CLOSE your eyes and try to call forth the sounds of Turkey. Surely you hear the muezzin's ancient call to prayer from atop the minarets. Were you there, you might also hear a sound just as ancient, the the street hawker's call to food. Pushcarts are a way of life in Turkey, and nowhere is this truer than in Istanbul. The city's streets are teeming with vendors pushing food carts through the narrow, winding streets, hawking everything from melon seeds to crepelike pastries called borek. Most street food here is surprisingly fresh, tasty and attractively displayed.

The hub of this stream of activity is the Galata Bridge waterfront on the European side of the Bosporus. Here is hawking at its best - food vendors yell out their wares and ferry agents yell out ports of call to the hordes who scramble in all directions to board the right boat and grab a bite before the plank is pulled up. (As Istanbul is divided into quarters by water, the ferries, like buses, are mass transportation vehicles.) Here taxis, buses, countless white ferries and street hawkers converge all day long.

The pulse at the harbor would be maddening if it weren't so delightul. A man pushes his freshly fried fish served between halves of a loaf of bread. Another man, seemingly competing with other Turks to see who can grow the thickest mustache, sells fried mussels on skewers, which he places in paper and then covers with some potent cold garlic sauce.

Another vendor has sandwiches laid out in a radiating star pattern on his small, round table - brilliant color bursts forth from moist red tomatoes, white cheese and fresh parsley on golden crusty bread.

Heading inland, one comes across a man at his blue cart, deftly and swiftly peeling a cucumber, which he then sprinkles with salt and hands to a customer These cucumbers are otherwise unadorned. They taste like your own garden harvest - a sauce or any other embellishment would be out of the question. And they are peeled on the spot for each customer.

The way Turks light up when they talk about things like tomatoes and peppers, you'd think they were talking about national treasures that repose in a museum. Turks have respect for life's simple pleasures. Americans return from Turkey rhapsodizing about how they never knew a tomato-and-cucumber salad could be so utterly delicious, served without dressing, save for a bit of lemon juice. One smells the salad before even seeing it - fragrant dark green parsley, fresh cucumbers and wholesome tomatoes. (One secret to the good taste of street food, aside from fresh ingredients, is that it is sold ''as is,'' not reheated and hence dried out.) Farther along, a man pushes his wooden three-wheeled painted cart filled with smoky roasted corn on the cob. A deluxe three-story cart enclosed in glass offers borek, the ubiquitous crepelike pastries filled with cheese, spinach and cheese, or with meat and onions. Another man pedals his pushcart full of forest-green and lime-green striped watermelons as another passes him in a similar cart overflowing with walnuts.

And then there are the famous meat kebabs and koftes, which are grilled skewers of chopped meat in a sausagelike shape.

The smell of yeast emerging from bakeries is seductive and everywhere - narrow alleys and hectic thoroughfares - one sees the irresistible, golden sesame-dipped ring breads. Young boys deftly balance trays of these on their heads while bakers run with a hundred rings hung on a wooden pole hot from bakery to vendor. One can imagine being here in ancient times, surrounded by the smells, tastes and sounds of the Fertile Crescent - and feasting on almonds, apricots, warm yeast bread.

The boys carrying pails are peddling ayran, the most Turkish of Turkish warm-weather beverages. Packed in ice inside those pails are bottles of this refreshing cold drink consisting of yogurt, water and salt.

AND there is lahmajun, flat bread topped with a sparse layer of chopped meat, tomatoes, onions, peppers and parsley. The main thing is the dough - springy and fresh - and what's on it is merely for a touch of flavor. You are probably looking at the origins of pizza. Known as pita in Arab countries and pide in Turkey, this flat, thin yeast bread is found all over the Middle East and parts of Mediterranean Europe.

Street vendors are usually out at work in the early morning, and they pack up their carts sometime between 6 and 8 P.M., depending on the type of food. Prices are always reasonable on the street - last summer, 50 cents bought a large bag of nuts, a dollar bought a sandwich, and most pastries were well under a dollar. The most expensive item was probably a grilled kefta kebab for under $2.

As for the safety of eating street food, my experience was that most carts and vendors in Istanbul appeared to be clean and the food safe to eat. Also, in Turkey one needn't avoid water-washed produce, as the water is chlorinated.

However, late in the afternoon, especially in hot weather, sandwiches, meat and fish can be questionable. One should always look and smell carefully before buying, at any time; common sense should dictate.

After a stroll through Istanbul you will have feasted on peaches, dark, densely sweet and juicy; bread, pliant and aromatic, baked in brick ovens and carried straight to the street cart. Still there is one thing more - a juicy Turkish olive fished out of the barrel - right over there, behind the almond-cookie cart.

24 hours on İstiklal Street

2008-01-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

ISTANBUL - TODAY'S ZAMAN - Let's be honest, Most people visit İstanbul for its history and culture -- and understandably so. İstanbul was -- and still remains -- one of the world's great cities.

The domes and minarets of the magnificent mosques built by the Ottomans give "old" İstanbul an unforgettable skyline. Sprawling Topkapı Palace attests to the might and wealth of the Ottoman sultans, rulers of a mighty empire spanning two continents and several centuries. In an earlier epoch the heirs to the eastern Roman Empire built the church of Aya Sofya, rightly regarded as the apogee of Byzantine architecture.

But when you've "done" old İstanbul, what then? Well, for shopping, entertainment, dining, nightlife and some turn-of-the-century-period charm, head across the Golden Horn to Beyoğlu. Known in the 19th century as Pera, this was the fashionable European quarter of the city. Here the great powers built their embassies and elegant Parisian-style apartments lined the cobbled streets. Grand hotels were built for visitors arriving from Western Europe on the famed Orient Express. Taverns did roaring business and the music halls overflowed. As the 20th century dawned, that new-fangled form of entertainment, the cinema, exerted an ever-increasing influence on the cosmopolitan population of the area.

The main artery of this vibrant district was the Grand Rue de Pera. Following the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, it was renamed İstiklal Caddesi (Independence Street). The name aside, little has changed over the years. Without a doubt, it is the liveliest pedestrian street in this teeming metropolis. İstanbulites come here by the millions to shop, drink, dine, take in a film or gig, go clubbing or just stroll with friends. What follows are a few suggestions as to how you could spend 24 hours on and around Turkey's premier street.

Saturday 6:00 a.m. European architecture, Turkish tea

Many of you will already be scanning down the page to find a more sensible time to begin the day -- perhaps 11:00 a.m. -- but bear with me. To see the intriguing architecture of İstiklal Caddesi at its best, do it when it is at its quietest and you're at your freshest. Near the Tünel, the quaint 19th century underground funicular railway linking İstiklal Caddesi to the Golden Horn, is a wonderful Art Nouveau apartment. Named after its Dutch patron -- a tailor for Sultan Abdulhamid II -- the Botter House was designed by Italian architect Raimondo D'Aronco in 1901. Its finely carved stonework façade and flowing wrought-iron balcony make it the equal of similar buildings in Paris and Barcelona. Further along is the neo-Classical bulk of the Palais de Hollande, built in 1858, and now the Dutch Consulate. The pretty red-brick neo-Gothic façade of the Franciscan church of St Antoinette is next. Originally built in 1525, the building you see now dates back to 1913. You'll probably be distracted by the smell of freshly baked bread, simit and other pastries wafting from various shops. Restrain yourself and make do with a hot, sweet black tea from one of the many simple tea-shops tucked away in the alleys off İstaklal Caddesi.

Saturday 7:30 a.m. Breakfast in the Büyük Londra Hotel

Stay in this atmospheric hotel if you can. Neither as famous nor as expensive as its near neighbor, the Pera Palas, the Büyük Londra oozes the same vintage charm. Amongst the potted palms, dark wood Victorian furniture and etched glass doors of the bar and reception areas, it is hard to believe you're in Turkey. Ernest Hemingway stayed here in 1922. More recently, it featured in "Crossing the Bridge: The Sounds of İstanbul," an evocative film by Fatih Akın and Alexander Hacke about the city's music scene. No doubt Hacke, who stayed here while shooting the film, ate his breakfast in the Londra's moody basement dining room.

Saturday 9:00 a.m. Homer Kitapevi, Art Nouveaux cakes and Fender guitars

Back out on İstiklal the crowds are building up. They know that whatever they're after, it's to be found hereabouts. Book lovers can browse away the hours in the city's best bookstores. My favourite is Homer Kitapevi, opposite the venerable 19th century Galatasaray Lycee, which stocks a myriad of Turkey-related books in English. Mudo, down towards the Tünel, has a classy selection of toys and ornaments displayed in a genuine Art Nouveau interior. If you're tired, sip some coffee and nibble a delicious cake in Markiz. This lovingly restored patisserie sports two Art Nouveau wall panels, L'Automne and Le Printemps by Annoux. The smart waitresses, attired in timeless black and white outfits, help reinforce its turn-of-the-century atmosphere. Refreshed, continue your explorations on the now-teeming street. Musicians should check-out the music stores down towards the Tünel. They are piled high with everything from the world famous, but locally made İstanbul Cresent and Zildjian cymbals, to imported Fender guitars.

Saturday 1:30 p.m. France or White Russia?

Tired of the shops and out of calories from your mid-morning pastry? Then it's time for a spot of lunch. Hop on the cute red 19th century tram that trundles its way between Tünel and Taksim Square. In summer, get off opposite the French Cultural Center. The Bordeaux Café, situated in its serene green courtyard, serves great crepes and is a peaceful haven just a stone's throw from the jostling masses on İstiklal Caddesi. In winter, or for something more substantial, try Rejans. Redolent of the street's fascinating, multi-ethnic past, it was founded by White Russians in the 1920's and was a favourite haunt of Atatürk himself. Gleaming polished wood, high ceilings, white tablecloths, grilled quail and lemon vodka, what more could you ask for?

Saturday 4:00 p.m. The silver screen

Although bland suburban multiplex cinemas are now the norm in Turkey, İstanbul's entels (intellectuals) prefer the old-fashioned screens around İstiklal Caddesi. In the 1960's, Yeşilcam Sokak was home to the nation's leading film companies. They are long gone, but this narrow street just off the main drag still boasts the Emek cinema. Built in the 1920s, it retains much of the glory of that era. A decidedly Bohemian alternative is the basement Yeşilcam. A small art-house cinema, it screens the best the Turkish and world-cinema industries have to offer.

Saturday 8:00 p.m. Mayhem and meze on Nevizade Sokak.

After relaxing and freshening up back at your hotel, it's time for some serious nightlife. Every Friday and Saturday evening, thousands of people are funneled from the broad expanse of İstiklal Caddesi into the narrow alley that is Nevizade Sokak. The result? Mayhem. Join in and enjoy one of the street's numerous, bustling meyhane (taverns). Positioned alongside the city's fish market, it's no surprise that most of the restaurants here specialize in fresh seafood. Try the Greek-run İmroz, established in 1942. Spread over three floors, what it lacks in sophistication it makes up for in liveliness and quality food. The diners', many fuelled by the fiery national aniseed spirit, rakı, manage to eat, smoke, drink, gesticulate and talk all at the same time. The appetizers are excellent and allow you to spin out the meal until it's time to hit the nightspots.

Saturday 11pm. Babylon turns İstanbul on.

Recently re-vamped, Babylon is justifiably considered one of the city's best music venues. Of course, this is a matter of personal taste and if you don't like jazz, blues, dance, reggae or rock music, stay away. If you do, however, you may well agree that Babylon truly does "turn İstanbul on" as much as the club's publicity claims. With its stripped-to-brick walls and exposed ventilation system, it's a like a cross between an old-fashioned cellar bar and a high-tech arts centre. Somehow it works, and it is a great place to see major local acts, such as Baba Zula, and a steady stream of big-name foreign artists.

Saturday 2:00 a.m. The Secret Garden

Gig over, make your way back to Nevizade Sokak and up the dingy stairs of a 19th-century apartment block to the Gizli Bahçe (Secret Garden). The music (usually dance, trance and funk) is loud, but not deafeningly so. You can chat away on one of the battered sofas that litter the third floor of this old town house, whiling away the hours until dawn.

Saturday 4:00 a.m. Tripe time.

Many Turks who drink alcohol swear that işkembe çorbası (tripe soup) is the perfect antidote for a potential hangover. The places that serve this delicacy tend to be open 24/7 and do their best business in the early hours. Try the Cumhüriyet near the fish market, just a short stroll from the Gizli Bahçe. More atmospheric is the Lale -- out on the thoroughfare where it all began at six o'clock yesterday morning, İstanbul's most happening street: İstiklal Caddesi.

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[HOT SPOTS]

Botter House, İstiklal Caddesi 475-7

Palais de Hollande, İstiklal Caddesi 393

St Antoinette, İstiklal Caddesi 325

Büyük Londra Hotel, Meşrutiyet Caddesi 117, Tepebaşı. Tel 0212/249 1025; www.londrahotel.com

Homer Kitapevi, Yeni Çarşısı Caddesi 28

Mudo, İstiklal Caddesi 401

Markiz, İstiklal Caddesi 360-2

Bordeaux Café, İstiklal Caddesi 2

Rejans, Emir Nevruz Sokak 17

Emek Sineması, Yeşilcam Sokak 5

Yeşilcam Sineması, İmam Adnan Sokak 5

İmroz Meyhanesi, Nevizade Sokak 24

Babylon, Şeybender Sokak 3, Tel 0212/292 7368; www.babylon-ist.com

Gizli Bahçe, Nevizade Sokak 27

Lale Işkembecisi, İstiklal Caddesi 238

Football tourism brings winter cash to Antalya

2008-01-09T07:09:00.001-08:00

With winter kicking in, Antalya is becoming the object of attraction for some 500 European clubs and a greater benefit to the region's economy, thanks to the warm weather and modern sporting facilities

ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

It is time for a break for European football and once again hundreds of Turkish and foreign teams are rushing to Antalya to hold their training camps.

A majority of the Turkcell Super League teams – including top teams Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor – have been involved in arranging the training camp in the Mediterranean province during the winter break. European teams do not only come to Turkey for training camps in the winter. Alongside Turkish clubs many of the major European clubs also prefer the “Turkish Riviera” for mid-season and pre-season camps too.

German title contender Schalke 04 is staying in the Kempinski Hotel, while Werder Bremen is in Rixos Premier and Bayer Leverkusen, Galatasaray's opponent in the UEFA Cup, has chosen Sueno Hotel. Gloria Golf Hotel is the location for Karlsruher, South Korean FC Seoul, as well as Dynamo Moscow and Spartak Moscow of Russia.

According to reports, some 500 teams, each with squads and staff of 30 people, will have held training camps in Antalya between January and the end of March. Obviously, football tourism is a great asset for Turkey, bringing approximately $60 million into Antalya during the current winter tourism season.

The main reason why Antalya is preferred this much is that the climate is suitable for European teams, whose countries are mainly covered in snow at this time of year. But Antalya has more than that, said Volkan Şimşek, the head of Professional Hotel Administrators Association (POYD).

Şimşek said that Turkey is benefiting from previous investments in winter tourism that began in the 1990s, after realizing that sports such as golf, football, cycling and running are factors that can attract tourists at times when they could not be enjoyed in northern countries. Now there is a remarkable number of such sporting facilities in Antalya.

“There are more than 100 football pitches in the region,” Şimşek said to the TDN. “A pitch can be used by two or three teams at the same time, over a period of three months. Turkey is far ahead of European countries in terms of the facilities it has to offer.”

Şimşek believes there is still more room to grow, and said that the market is open to investors on alternative tourism methods. He adds that more serious work needed, as this is important on so many levels.

“When a team comes to Antalya in the wintertime, its members also visit the country in summer,” said Şimşek. “More indirectly, people all around Europe are informed about the facilities available in Turkey via the news about those teams on television.” As Antalya adds comfortable and modern facilities to its climate advantage, it seems set to maintain its key position as the choice of European teams.

Turkey: Second most preferred and complained about

2008-01-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

A survey by the well-respected German travel magazine Urlaub Perfekt has ranked Turkey the second most popular tourism destination of 2008 and second on a list of most complained about destinations.

Commenting on the results of the survey in a written statement yesterday, President of the Europe-Turkey Tourism Business Council Hüseyin Baraner said there has been a considerable increase in the number of bookings by foreign agencies since the start of the new year, corresponding to the findings of the survey.

The survey was conducted among 1,208 travel agencies operating in Germany. Nine hundred eleven agencies ranked the Spanish islands of Mallorca and Menorca as their "number one" choice. Turkey was chosen by 691 agencies as the second most favored destination for 2008. Greece came third in the survey, with 631 votes. An interesting result was that Italy and Tunisia, which are traditionally favored by many European tourists, were at the bottom of the list, with 133 and 120 votes, respectively.

Baraner called Turkey's second position among the most complained about countries a "paradox," underlining that this is not a new situation. He said that a similar picture had emerged over the last four years. A total of 751 agencies said Tunisia was most complained about tourism destination, followed by Turkey with 552 votes.

Baraner also noted another result in the survey -- Turkey was voted the best in terms of prices and quality of service. It also led the list of destinations for families with children. "These rankings clearly show the apparent paradox of being the second most preferred country despite large numbers of complaints, he said.

Turkey hosted 23 million tourists in 2007, almost half of which came from Germany and Russia. Fueled by a government decision to decrease the value-added tax (VAT) to 10 percent from 18 percent for tourism investment, the industry is expecting to attract 26 million visitors this year.

Today's Zaman

Gaziantep aims for 1 million tourists

2008-01-05T07:05:00.000-08:00

Gaziantep, the largest city in Turkey's southeastern Anatolia region with a rich history and culture, is expected to become a magnet for foreign tourists. Gaziantep Mayor Süleyman Kamçı says the goal is to bring one million tourists to the city annually.

ISTANBUL - TDN with wire dispatches

The southeastern city of Gaziantep, the region's center for industry and trade, is on its way to becoming a magnet for tourism.

The city, which has a rich history and culture, aims to attract one million tourists annually, an attainable goal, said Mayor Süleyman Kamçı.

Gaziantep has been unable to attract its share of tourists, despite being the biggest city in the southeastern region, Kamçı said. “We have opened a Mosaic Museum and displayed mosaic pieces from the ancient city of Zeugma. We have also restored Dayı Ahmet Ağa Mansion, one of the historic structures in the city, and it is now a small hotel,” said Kamçı.

“Now we are planning to establish a larger, 45,000 square meter mosaic museum. The Culture and Tourism Ministry has approved the investment. When the museum is finished, more mosaics will be on display. Also, a private company operates a boat on the river of Birecik Dam. There are many beauties in the region that must be seen,” he added.

Karkamış ancient city

Opening the ancient city of Karkamış to tourism is another of the city's priorities, Kamçı said. The ancient city, declared a protected area in 1989, will be cleared of mines to become a tourism destination, he said, adding, “archaeological excavations will be carried out in the ancient city. It is said that ancient Karkamış has great archaeological importance and will contribute to the development of tourism in Gaziantep.”

1 million tourists

Gaziantep's tourism potential owes not only to its history and cultural heritage, said Kamçı, adding, “our goal is to bring 1 million tourists to the city every year. This is an attainable goal. We are in a very good position for health tourism. We can host guests from Syria for health tourism. Some 13 fairs will also be held in the city in 2008. We have two five-star hotels and new ones are under construction. People invest here because they know they will make a profit.”

Gaziantep Greater Municipality's zoo attracted great interest from local tourists. “500-600,000 people, most of whom are students, visit the zoo annually. Most of these visitors come from nearby towns,” Kamçı said.

“2.5 million people visit the mosaic museum in Tunisia. But the mosaics in our museum are said to be more beautiful. If we establish one more museum, 500,000 tourists may visit the museum every year,” said Kamçı.

Gaziantep, Turkey's sixth largest city

Gaziantep is Turkey's sixth largest city. It is one of the most developed provinces of the region and also one of the oldest with a history reaching as far back as the Hittites. Being the center of pistachio nut cultivation in Turkey and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, Gaziantep is one of Turkey's important agricultural and industrial hubs. In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as the reminders of past. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from Neolithic and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors. The surroundings of the city are also full of valuable Hittite remains. Gaziantep is the center of economy in southeastern and eastern Turkey. The city has the largest organized industrial area in Turkey and also has a developing tourist industry.

Business: Tourism in Turkey up in 2007

2008-01-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

ThAccording to provisional figures released by the Turkish Statistics Institute, more than 22 million foreign tourists visited Turkey in the first eleven months of 2007, an increase of 18.2% from a year ago. Germany tops the list of visitors, followed by Iran, Bulgaria, Russia, Georgia, the United States, the UK, Azerbaijan, Greece and France.

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