News from Turkey

Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the 5th Istanbul Design Biennial will take place on 26 September – 8 November 2020. The biennial will be curated by architect and curator Mariana Pestana.

Turkey has slowly but surely become a world-class golf destination over the past few decades, with new courses opening every year that further enhance its standing as a can’t-miss golf tourist destination. In 2008, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators recognized Turkey’s impressive roster of courses, naming it the Best Golfing Destination in Europe.

Turkey welcomed a growing number of international travelers in the first half of 2019, according to the latest statistics announced by Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited (PG) and Turkish Airlines (TK) announce a new codeshare partnership, which will provide their passengers with convenient travel connections from Turkey to destinations in Thailand and other cities in Southeast Asia, commencing on 1^stAugust, 2019.

SunExpress, which connects Antalya to the highest number of destinations with direct flights on both domestic and international routes, has applied a special livery with the theme “The Year of Aspendos” to support the promotional activities within the scope of the Aspendos Year in Antalya.

Turkey's national carrier, Turkish Airlines inaugurated its direct flights between its home base Istanbul and world-renowned tourist destination, Bali (Indonesia) on July 17, 2019.

Istanbul hosts the first all-English UEFA Super Cup. UEFA Champions League holders Liverpool and UEFA Europa League winners Chelsea will contest the 2019 UEFA Super Cup.

The popularity of Turkish cities in the Middle East continues to rise. Turkish Cultural and Tourism Office in Dubai announced that UAE nationals continue to travel to Turkish cities in rising numbers.

Istanbul born Başak Demirci is a Turkish painter based in Bodrum, Turkey. Her paintings decorate walls of hospitals and boutique hotels and she wants to work for more companies.

As the Turkey's central government budget balance posted a deficit of some 66.5 billion Turkish liras ($11.9 billion) in the January-May period this year, a new omnibus bill is submitted to Turkish parliament.

Every year in July, I like to travel abroad to celebrate my birthday. This year, it won’t be different until I got my first rejection two days before the flight. As a travel writer for over 20 years in the industry, I have been rejected for the first time and not welcomed by a country.

Low-cost Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines is joining forces with Expedia Partner Solutions (EPS), the B2B brand of Expedia Group, to offer its travelers access to competitive accommodation and package rates in order to keep up with Turkey’s rapid increase in both domestic and international tourism.

Turkey's leading low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines launched scheduled flights between Manchester Airport and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen and beyond on 1^st July 2019.

SunExpress, the joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, continues to increase its flights between Turkey and Europe during the 2019 summer season. SunExpress is connecting a total of 12 Anatolian cities with direct scheduled flights to Europe’s 16 cities, with capacity growth of 30 per cent this summer compared to the previous year.