Turkey’s tourism revenues nearly tripled in the second quarter while first-half foreign visitor numbers surged close to 2019 levels, data has showed. Revenues surged 190% from a year earlier to $8.72 billion in the April-June period, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data showed. In June, the number of foreign visitors arriving in Turkey leaped 145%…
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A WELSH-born woman, who rubbed shoulders with late-1950 London glitterati before relocating to live among Istanbul’s ‘aristocrats’, has provided an extraordinary and evocative insight into her life. “Lady Who, Memoirs of a not so ordinary life in Turkey” is a remarkable 60-year memoir from Joan Kim Erkan. ‘Kim’ means ‘Who” in Turkish. Arriving on February…
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EDA Topçuoğlu, a teacher living in İzmir, decided to become a foster mum and says her life is now complete. Topçuoğlu, 36, who lives in Karşıyaka and works as a pre-school teacher in a special education centre, decided to adopt a boy four years ago through a friend. Topçuoğlu, who took care of children within…
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MORE than 6.3 million foreigners obtained a Turkish visa in 2015 using the country’s Electronic Visa System, it has been reported. According to Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, 7,232,322 people applied for a visa through the e-Visa system in 2015, while some 87 percent of all applications (6,343,581) were accepted. The e-Visa figures showed a 17.4…
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VOICES has been assessing the reactions of tourism bosses on the prospects for Turkey in 2016 post-Istanbul and the views don’t make happy reading. There appear to be views weighted in speculating that British families will opt for a short-haul sunny holiday to Spain in view of security concerns surrounding Turkey. Nevertheless, it hasn’t been pointed…
Read More BREAKING NEWS Voices and Newswires TEN people are feared dead and 15 injured – including tourists – in an explosion that rocked İstanbul’s central Sultanahmet Square, close to the iconic Blue Mosque, a world tourist attraction, this morning (Tues). The explosion occurred at 10.20am, the Doğan news agency reported. It is understood that among the casulaties…
Read MoreTHE New Year has brought with a host of tax increases – from everything from electricity to alcohol. The Hurriyet Newspaper revealed that the cost of cigarettes, alcoholic drinks and electricity are all set to lighten our wallets after the government imposed price hikes. The government increased special taxes on the goods two days after…
Read MoreCHANGES to our everyday lives in Turkey – for both expats and locals – are set to come into force in 2016. Sabah Newspaper reported that the daily life will see both minor and fundamental changes this year as new laws and regulations changing everything from IDs to marriage procedures are set to be implemented…
Read More ENTRY prices to some of Turkey’s popular historic attractions are to increase in the New Year – with some rising as high as 400 percent. Despite experiencing a decline in the number of visitors heading through the entrance to some of the best historic sites on the globe, the Culture and Tourism Ministry will ring…
Read More AS reports came in late last night (TUES) of another refugee disaster off the coast of Didim, parts of our Turkish and foreign communities responded admirably to donate clothing and blankets. Baby dies, Didim responds Social media sent out appeals for clothing after it emerged that a group of mainly Syrians had been rescued after their…
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