The 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival Begins

The 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival will be held between 2 and 20 March 2019 by Izmir Foundation For Culture Arts and Education with the contribution of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.

The festival which organized in cooperation with Italien Consulate in Izmir, Istanbul Dimitrie Cantemir Romanian Cultural Center, Institut Francais Turquie Izmir, Honorary Consulate of Switzerland in Izmir, Istanbul Austrian Cultural Office and Goethe Institut Izmir, will start with the opening of the exhibition and the Ferit Odman Quartet concert on Saturday, 2 March 2019 at AASSM.

26th Izmir European Jazz Festival will bring an unforgettable jazz festival to the people of Izmir with a program including nine concerts, a jam session, an exhibition, a seminar, a movie screening and workshops.

A Deep Journey with Ferit Odman Quartet 

Ferit Odman who is a pioneer of jazz drums in Turkey, will feature the quartet arrangements from his albums “Autumn in New York” and “Nommo” at 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival Opening Concert. Ferit Odman, Engin Recepoğulları (saxophone), Ercüment Orkut (piano) and Kağan Yıldız (contrabass) will perform and take their listeners on a beautiful journey in the depths of the hard-bop world, at the AASSM Concert Hall on March 2, 2019, Saturday. Quartet, which consists of the most important jazz musicians of today, takes part in many projects together and separately, participates in concerts and festivals and continues their recording works.

The Magical Coalescence of Saxophone and Piano

The second concert of the 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival will be performed by Jazz Virtuoso Duo which consists saxophonist Gianni Oddi and the pianist Alessandro Bonanno. Oddi and Bonanno will present their world-renowned virtuosity skills in a concert to be held in cooperation with the Italian Consulate in Izmir. Jazz Virtuoso Duo, both of whom had classical education but choose to progress in jazz music, will host their audience with magical association of saxophone and piano at the AASSM Small Hall on March 4, 2019, Monday.

Classic, Interesting and Original: Irina Sarbu Band

On 7th March 2019 Thursday evening at 20.00, AASSM Small Hall audience will witness an extraordinary concert. Irina Sarbu, who is mesmerizing on stage, will present 15 years of experiences with her unique and original interpretations with Puiu Pascu (piano), Ciprian Parghel (double bass) and Tudor Parghel (drums). Irina Sarbu Band will present a special selection repertoire including jazz, ethnic jazz, samba, bossa nova, Argentinean tango, Romanian music, French music and folklore, at 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival with a collaboration with Istanbul Dimitrie Cantemir Romanian Cultural Center.

The Joy of Singing Together; Marion Rampal Trio 

Marion Rampal Trio which consists Marion Rampal (vocal), Pierre-François Blanchard (keyboard and vocal) and Anne Paceo (drums and vocals), will give a different jazz experience to audience at AASSM on Tuesday, 12 March 2019 in collaboration with the Institut Francais Turquie Izmir. Marion Rampal, who has an exceptional talent as a vocalist, is a well-known singer on European stages during her high school years. Rampal, who has a considerable reputation as a songwriter, will present a special repertoire in a wide range with her Trio.

The climax of Improvisation and Musical Interaction; Nu Bass 

Two concerts will be held at the 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival in cooperation with the Honorary Consulate of Switzerland in Izmir. Nu Bass consisting of François Lindemann (piano & el. piano & composition), Amine Mraihi (lute), Olivier Clerc (drums), Patrick Perrier (bass & double bass) and Ivor Malherbe (bass & double bass), will perform at AASSM Small Hall on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 20:00. Nu Bass, which can be defined as a unique “ethnic jazz band” regarding the instruments (piano, drums, tabla, lute and a rare combination of 2 double basses) that they involved in their music, will perform pianist François Lindemann’s special compositions created for these unique instruments. Nu Bass who has been at numerous events, are among the sought-after guests of festivals.

The representative of Young European Jazz Music; Pilgrim

Pilgrim Quintet which is the 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival’s second concert which is held in collaboration with the Honorary Consulate of Switzerland in Izmir, is one of the most exciting groups of young European jazz music. Pilgrim, founded by Zurich-based tenor saxophonist Christoph Irniger, will present their fourth album, Crosswinds, to audience in Izmir. Pilgrim which consists Christoph Irniger (tenor saxophone), Stefan Aeby (piano), Dave Gisler (guitar), Raffaele Bossard (bass) and Michi Stulz (drums), difficult to categorize, is known for creating a heavy and versatile music. This extraordinary concert will be held on March 16, 2019 at 20.00 at AASSM Small Hall.

Is the Color of Music Purple?

Simon Raab (piano), Štafpán Flagar (sax), Martin Kocián (bass) and Michał Wierzgoń (drums), who came together by chance in a jazz session in Linz, Austria, since then Purple is the Color was created. Although the music of the band is nourished by the jazz quartet tradition, it does not stay away from the unifying elements of pop and folk music and connects all of these in a modern sound system. Purple is the Color uses all the right notes to find the right flow between composition and improvisation. Festival with the collaboration of the Austrian Cultural Office in Istanbul, will enable us to meet Purple is the Color on Monday March 18, 2015 at 20.00, at AASSM.

Places and Faces: Timo Vollbrecht Fly Magic

Fly Magic, which consists of four musical improvisation artists, different musical styles and the explosive intersection of cultural diversity, will give the last concert of the 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival in the AASSM Small Hall on 19 March 2019, Tuesday at 20.00. Fly Magic which consists of Timo Vollbrecht (saxophone), Elias Stemeseder (piano & synth), Bernhard Meyer (bass) and Sebastian Merk (drums) will present their new album “Faces in Places” in their concert which cooperated with Goethe Institute Izmir. Faces in Places tells the story of Fly Magic’s encounters with 10 people they meet while on tour around the world.

AND JAZZ EVERYWHERE

The 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival will provide free side events for jazz music audience of all ages to show magic side of jazz.

17th Jazz Poster Contest Exhibition

Yiğitcan Çakar, who graduated from Dokuz Eylül University Fine Arts Faculty Graphic Design Department, won the 17th Jazz Poster Contest which organized to determine İKSEV's 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival poster. Seda Yüksel who graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Department of Graphic Design, got the second place. Moreover, the third place was given to the poster of Sevda Kaçtı, a graduate student of the Graphics Department of Anadolu University. Esra Aslan whose poster “Jazz Trilogy” received the Special Jury Prize, is a student at Marmara University Fine Arts Faculty Graphic Design Department. 39 posters, which got the chance of exhibited, will be at AASSM Gallery between 2 – 20th March 2019.

Write Stuff – A Jazz Writer is Growing 

Izmir Foundation For Culture Arts and Education (İKSEV) will organize “Write Stuff” which is on jazz writing for journalism students within the scope of the 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival which will be held between 10 – 20th March 2019. Workshop will be held by Ümit Tuncağ and Sirel Ekşi.

Workshop and Jam Session with Jazz Virtuoso Duo 

Saxophonist Gianni Oddi and pianist Alessandro Bonanno, who participated in the 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival with the collaboration of the Italian Consulate in Izmir, will perform with the young jazz musicians at İKSEV on 5th and 6th March 2019. Jazz Virtuoso Duo and their students will perform Jam Session at AASSM on 6th March 2019 at 19:30.

Dance Form of Jazz: Lindy Hop

The Lindy Hop Workshop will be held at IKSEV with the cooperation of Swingin’ feet İzmir on Saturday, March 9, 2019 and will embrace all ages of dance enthusiasts. Master Hoppers will dance with those who love and want to learn this dance. The aim of this workshop is to feel the music, move our body in harmony with the music and spend a pleasant time.

Publik Market Jazz Edition

Publik Market which aims to bring together local manufacturers, craftsmen, designers, artists with communities, supporters and institutions, will held on March 9, 2019, between 13.00 - 19.30 at Edit & Chill. Publik Market, which is part of the 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival, will bring jazz music and design culture to the streets.

Yasar University Jazz Ensemble will Perform at Festival

The 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival will open its stage on Saturday, March 9, 2019 to the students of Yasar University which is the only university in Izmir to offer jazz education. Yasar University Jazz Ensemble which is conducted by Timuçin Şahin, will perform at AASSM Small Hall at 19.30.

Seminar: “Emancipation of Sound” 

The traditional seminar of the 26th İzmir European Jazz Festival will be given by Timuçin Şahin, a composer, guitarist and trainer. Şahin, who has outstanding recognition in the world jazz scene, will talk about the innovations brought by 2 sound revolutionaries to the 1950-60s. The seminar will also cover “New York School” which consists John Cage, Morton Feldman, Earle Brown and Christian Wolf, and the process of revitalizing the improvised elimination of classical western music for more than 150 years. Moreover, there will be an analytical music listening session. The seminar is open for everyone and will be held on 11th March 2019 Monday at 19.30 at İKSEV.

Nu Bass Jazz Workshop

Nu Bass participated in the festival with the cooperation of Honorary Consulate of Switzerland in Izmir. Nu Bass which consists François Lindemann (piano & el. Piano & composing), Amine Mraihi (lute), Olivier Clerc (drums), Patrick Perrier (bass & double bass), Ivor Malherbe (bass & double bass), will perform a workshop for young jazz musicians at IKSEV on Wednesday March 13, 2019 at 16.00.

Movie Screening - Michel Petrucciani

Michel Petrucciani, the most extraordinary pianist of the world jazz scene, will be remembered at the 26th Izmir European Jazz Festival in the tenth year of his death. Director Michael Radford's 2012 documentary will be screened at the Institut Francais Turquie Izmir, on March 13, 2019 at 19.30. Entrance will be free.

Pilgrim Jazz Workshop

Pilgrim, consisting of Christoph Irniger (tenor saxophone), Stefan Aeby (piano), Dave Gisler (guitar), Raffaele Bossard (bass) and Michi Stulz (drums), participated in the festival with the cooperation of Honorary Consulate of Switzerland in Izmir, will make a workshop for young jazz musicians at IKSEV on Saturday, March 16, 2019.

Timo Vollbrecht - Fly Magic Jazz Workshop

Fly Magic, which includes Timo Vollbrecht (saxophone), Elias Stemeseder (piano & synth), Bernhard Meyer (bass) and Sebastian Merk (drums), will have the last event of the festival.

Timo Vollbrecht - Fly Magic who will participate in the festival with the cooperation of Goethe Institute Izmir, will make a workshop between 10:30 - 13:00 on Thursday, March 20, 2019 at IKSEV.

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TURKEY’S REBUKE OF CHINA’S UYGHUR POLICY REVEALS LIMITS OF COOPERATION

As long as the collision between China’s agenda in Xinjiang and Pan-Turkic solidarity forms an inherent limit to Sino-Turkish cooperation, Turkey will shy away from China's Belt-and-Road initiative.

Turkey’s recent stern rebuke of China’s treatment of its Turkic Muslim, Uyghur minority constitutes a stunning policy reversal by Ankara after more than three years of accommodating Beijing’s policies in Xinjiang province. The AKP government’s belated condemnation of China’s internment camps in Xinjiang was prompted by an erroneous claim of the death in detention of a revered performer of Uyghur traditional music. The timing was also motivated by the mounting pressure ahead of Turkey’s March 31 elections from growing Turkish nationalist outrage over the Uyghurs’ plight. Ankara’s reversion to the nationalist line on Xinjiang reveals the inherent limit of Sino-Turkish cooperation, as Turkish nationalism’s core element of Pan-Turkic solidarity poses an enduring threat to Beijing’s vital interests in Xinjiang and its strategic ambitions across Turkic Central Asia. 

Background

On February 9, 2019, Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement harshly criticizing China’s policy toward the ethnically Turkic Uyghur population in China’s Xinjiang Province, reversing a three-year policy of conciliation toward Beijing on the Uyghur issue. Belatedly castigating China’s October 2017 adoption of its “Sinification of All Religions and Beliefs” policy as a program for “eliminating the ethnic, religious and cultural identities of the Uyghur Turks,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson declared, “It is no longer a secret that more than one million Uyghur Turks incurring arbitrary arrests are subjected to torture and political brainwashing in internment camps and prisons.” Decrying Beijing’s actions as a “great shame for humanity,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry officially called upon “on the international community and the secretary-general of the United Nations to take effective measures in order to bring to an end this human tragedy in Xinjiang.”

The precipitating event for the astounding policy turn-around seems to be the reported death of Abdurehim Heyit, who was imprisoned by Chinese authorities. A revered poet and performer of traditional Uyghur music, Heyit is a symbol of the struggle to preserve the Uyghur cultural heritage. A bridge between Uyghur and Turkish cultures, Heyit has a large following in Turkey, where he performed just prior to his 2017 arrest. The foreign ministry explicitly mentioned the singer by name and its sorrow over Heyit’s death. 

However, to Turkey’s embarrassment, China Radio International’s Turkish-language service released a video dated February 10, 2019, in which a man appearing to be Abdurehim Heyit speaks in the Uyghur language and states that he is in “good health.” 

In her February 11 press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chun attempted to undermine the legitimacy of Ankara’s protest over Beijing’s treatment of Xinjiang’s Uyghur population. Focusing on the erroneous claim that Heyit died in Chinese custody, she declared, “Turkey made groundless accusations against China based on the absurd lie of portraying the living as dead. This is extremely wrong and irresponsible, and we firmly oppose it.” 

The following day the Chinese government issued a travel advisory admonishing its citizens against traveling to Turkey. China’s Ankara Embassy warned Chinese residents and tourists in Turkey to “be wary and pay attention to their personal safety.” While a legitimate concern, given the past history of popular anti-Chinese violence in Turkey, including attacks on travelers from other East Asian nations mistaken for being Chinese, Beijing’s advisory targets Turkey’s tourism industry at a time when the country’s economy is fragile. While the overall impact to Turkey’s tourism will likely be small, the advisory also serves as a warning shot from Beijing that is prepared to retaliate economically for any further Turkish action.

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Indian tourists show great interest in Turkey

By Yunus Okur, Murat Aslan

ERZURUM, Turkey

Indian citizens are showing great interest in Turkey as a tourist destination, the Indian envoy said Thursday.

Sanjay Bhattacharyya, the Indian ambassador to Ankara, told Anadolu Agency that the number of Indian tourists visiting Turkey went up by 80 percent in 2018, compared to 2017.

Bhattacharyya praised Turkish ski resort Palandoken, located in the eastern province of Erzurum upon his visit.

"India has many ski options as well, so a lot of Indians go there. They go off to Europe for skiing. But this (Palandoken) can be a new destination. I think the signs can be good. Because last year, there was an increase of about 80 percent in the number of Indian tourists coming to Turkey," Bhattacharyya said, adding that Palandoken ski center is a beautiful destination.

"It is also very important for Turkish tourists to go to India, because they get to see more of each other," he said.

Palandoken is Turkey's most accessible ski resort, located approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Erzurum Airport.

Palandoken provides opportunity for night skiing with its world-standard lighting system and many new facilities like ski jumping ramps and shooting ramps for the biathlon.

The resort is monitored 24/7 by security cameras.

Moreover, the popular ski resort is only two kilometers (1.2 miles) away from the city center.

In April 2018, Erzurum applied to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, but it was eliminated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in October.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry's annual bulletin shows that almost 87,000 Indians visited Turkey in 2017.

The figure swelled to 147,127 in 2018.

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Number of Indian tourists in Turkey significantly rose in 2018

The arrivals of Indian tourists in Turkey significantly increased in 2018, skyrocketing by 80 percent compared to the previous year, according to Sanjay Bhattacharyya, India's ambassador to Turkey.

The ambassador's remarks came during his visit to one of the most important ski resorts in Turkey, Palandöken in eastern Erzurum province, to observe the tourism potential of the region.

Bhattacharyya was quoted by Anadolu Agency (AA) as saying that he skied on Palandöken accompanied by instructors, expressing his admiration for Erzurum.

Palandöken stands out among ski centers for its unique trails visited by numerous local and foreign tourists every year. With a capacity for 12,000 skiers, the center has 24 trails that are among the longest and steepest in the world.

With the longest ski track in Turkey, Palandöken, which hosted the University Winter Games in 2011 and the European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in 2017, offers local and foreign visitors a true skiing experience. The summit of the 3,000-meter mountain bears the name Büyük Ejder (The Great Dragon).

Indicating that there are also high-altitude mountains in his country as well, he said: "India is a country with quite high mountains. In summer, I take nature walks with friends there. The altitude of the mountains reaches 6,000 meters. I have been at such high altitudes. I have tried it with friends in Japan as well. When we go on vacation, my children ski, and I sit and watch them with my wife. After seeing Erzurum, I thought about changing this, and I had an hour of ski training with a very nice instructor here. I am not going to ski from the summit yet, but I am going to focus on this."

Emphasizing that Palandöken has nice ski tracks, the ambassador said there is really an amazingly charming environment on the mountain. "We have so many places in India. Indian tourists often go to Europe or ski in the Himalayas, but this can be a new destination because it has beautiful nature. We want people to come from here to India so we can get to know each other better," he added.

Pointing out that Erzurum is a very rich city in terms of history, Bhattacharyya noted that the city has hosted many cultures since the Roman Empire.

Noting that Indian tourists often prefer Istanbul, Cappadocia and Antalya, Bhattacharyya remarked that Erzurum, Lake Van and Kars could be presented as a package to attract the attention of Indian tourists.

"In this sense, the Black Sea also has very rich potential, which should be assessed. Last month, we had a meeting in Istanbul with 60 tour operators from India. It is important that tour operators work together. If tour operators can offer a package about the eastern Anatolia region, there will be a significant increase in the number of tourists," he 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.

In the meantime, the ambassador announced earlier this week that they are planning to hold a huge festival in Istanbul, Ankara, Konya and İzmir [provinces], which will feature different activities in music, dance, food, beverages and yoga.

Taking his office eight months ago, Bhattacharyya said he considers Turkey as his second home.

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Turkey to renovate 2 churches damaged in PKK attacks in southeastern Diyarbakır

The Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning will renovate two community foundation-owned churches, including the largest Armenian church in the Middle East, that were significantly damaged four years ago in attacks by PKK terrorists in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakır province.

Surp Giragos and Mar Petyun Chaldean Churches had been awaiting restoration by the community foundations, which were unable to carry out the task due to insufficient funds.

Four years ago PKK terrorists inflicted serious damage to historic structures, including Ottoman-era mosques and Armenian churches in the area.

The government will take care of the task as part of the efforts to renovate places of worship in Diyarbakır's historic Sur district, reports said.

Many structures, including the Fatih Paşa and Şeyh Mutahhar Mosques, and the Armenian Protestant Church have been restored.

The Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning has recently signed a protocol with the Directorate of Foundations to undertake the renovation works following a tender.

AA Photo

Sur District Governor Abdullah Çiftçi told Anadolu Agency that they expect renovation works to start very soon.

He condemned the PKK terrorist group for indiscriminately attacking public structures, including houses of worship.

"We see people from different religions as our own and work to protect them," Çiftçi said, adding that the government will cover all the expenses for the renovation.

The Director of Foundations Metin Evsen noted that the renovation will cost around TL10 million ($1.8 million) and the ministry will pay for it.

Built in 1376, the Surp Gragos Church is considered to be the largest Armenian Church in the Middle East. It had been used as the military quarters of the German Army during World War I and was reopened to worship in 1960. By 1980, the church was abandoned by Armenians who migrated to other areas and was in ruins by 1990.

Mar Petyun Chaldean Church was built in the 17^th century and was used by the local Chaldean community.

In March 2016, anti-terror operations in Sur district came to an end as the region was cleared of PKK terrorists. However, although the city had its peace back, the damage from the conflict was significant with major demographic changes as buildings were destroyed and people forced to leave.

Today, the city is set to rise from its ashes as reconstruction work continues with several plans for the terror-stricken people to get their homes back. Authorities managed to quell the group's presence, but not before militants inflicted serious damage to historic structures in the area, from Ottoman-era mosques to Armenian churches. Thousands of houses damaged in the violence are being renovated while more than 

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Turkey again tops Europe for tourism growth

Turkey’s impressive tourism turnaround continued in 2018 as it again topped Europe for international arrivals growth and likely welcomed a record number of foreign visitors, global trends analyst Skift reported.

Turkey’s foreign arrivals for the first nine months of 2018 were up 22.3 percent on 2017, easily outpacing Serbia (15 percent), Malta (15 percent), and Montenegro (14 percent), according to the European Travel Commission.

“Assuming year-to-date growth holds true for 2018 as a whole, arrivals to Turkey in 2018 will exceed 47 million – this would mark a new record for the destination in tourist arrivals terms, having never before exceeded 40 million,” the ETC said in its report, reported Skift .

Even though Turkey is on the path to recovery following the attempted coup in 2016 and several terrorist attacks, arrivals from key markets such as the United Kingdom and Germany are still lower than their peak levels. Also, Turkey’s increase in 2018 marked a slight decline from 2017, when arrivals were up 22.9 percent, according to the ETC.

Tour operators like TUI Group and Thomas Cook have returned to Turkey in the last couple of years following a resurgence in customer demand.

Nick Wrightman, managing director of tour operator The Discerning Collection, which specializes in Turkey, said the country had enjoyed a buoyant couple of years. Wrightman said the growth in 2018 can be attributed to the weak Turkish lira, cheaper hotels and the perception of an improvement in safety.

“I’ve noticed certainly that families are back again, and that’s a great sign for Turkey. When families go, you know the destination is perceived as safe,” he told Skift.

Countries like Spain and Portugal benefitted from instability in Turkey but the trend appears to be reversing now. Spain’s international tourism growth dropped to 0.7 percent and Portugal’s to 0.2 percent

The UK was the worst performing destination —down 5.3 percent — thanks in part to its impressive performance in 2017.

“More developed destinations can find it difficult to sustain higher rates of growth compared to developing ones,” the ETC said.

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4 dead after military helicopter crashes in Istanbul's Çekmeköy district

Four soldiers died after a military helicopter crashed near a residential area in Istanbul's Çekmeköy district on the Asian side, Governor Ali Yerlikaya said Monday.

Ambulances and rescue crews were immediately dispatched to Kirazlıdere neighborhood, where the crash took place.

The military staff pulled from the crashed helicopter were transferred to Sancaktepe Hospital, the governor said.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defense said that the UH-1 type helicopter crashed due to an unidentified reason and an investigation has been launched regarding the incident.

Yerlikaya noted that the helicopter crashed inside the Parkverde Housing Complex near Sultangazi Road at 6:51 p.m. local time.

Last November, another UH-1 military helicopter crashed in Sancaktepe district, leaving four soldiers dead and another wounded.

Four UH-1 helicopters have crashed in Turkey between 2002 and 2011. Ten officers were killed in total in two UH-1 crashes in the northern province of Erzincan in 2006 and in capital Ankara in 2011.

UH-1 helicopters, whose production ended in 1976, are widely used by armies around the world and mainly employed for training, rescue and transportation purposes.

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Russians top list of tourists visiting Turkey

Russian citizens topped the list of foreign tourists entering Turkey through border gates in 2018, according to a Interior Ministry statement released on Thursday.

Officials from the ministry's Directorate General of Migration Management told Anadolu Agency that nearly 6 million Russians came to Turkey last year.

They were followed by over 4.4 million German citizens and more than 2.4 million Bulgarians.

Russia was the first on the list in 2017 as well -- with over 4.7 million visitors, followed by Germany with 3.5 million and Iran with 2.5 million people.

Germans, Russians and British led the way at the border crossings, respectively, in 2013 and 2014, data indicates, followed by Germans, Russians and Bulgarians in 2015, and Germans, Georgians and Bulgarians in 2016.

Turkey also hosted a total of 39,468,492 foreigners who entered the country via land, air, sea or railways in 2018. In 2017, the number was over 32 million.

Some 26.6 million foreigners crossed the Turkish borders in 2010 via land, air, sea and railway.

This figure stood at 29 million in 2011, 29.7 million in 2012, 32.9 million in 2013, 35.1 million in 2014, 34.6 million in 2015, 24.7 million in 2016, and 32 million in 2017.

Given last year's figures, 39.5 million people entered the country, while the number of foreigners leaving Turkey was recorded as 39.3 million in the same period.

Turkey and Russia have been enjoying friendly bilateral ties in the recent years, which is strengthened with reciprocal visits from the presidents of the both nations, as well as cooperation on energy.

Last year, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had seven one-on-one meetings and 18 phone calls. The last meeting of the duo took place in Moscow on Wednesday.

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Turkey's tourism campaign draws 2.5 million early bookings

Some 2.5 million people have made early bookings so far, benefiting from a campaign initiated in December, according to Cem Polatoğlu, the spokesman for the Platform of Tour Operators.

A significant increase in the number of foreign tourists in particular is expected, Polatoğlu said, noting that early bookings launched with a 50 percent discount and nine installments are in high demand.

"There is a 15 percent increase in early bookings compared to last year. 2.5 million people have already made early reservations," he told Anadoly Agency (AA), stressing domestic tourists should get a move on to take advantage of the campaign. Referring to reservations from abroad, Polatoğlu said, "First, there are reservations from Russia. In Europe, on the other hand, we see a very serious demand from Germany. The fact that British tourists have resumed their reservations to Bodrum after three years is quite pleasing. We expect an increase in other European countries as well."

He remarked that 2018 was very productive for Turkish tourism, adding last year's performance will be surpassed in 2019.

According to the Tourism Ministry, more than 37.5 million foreigners visited the country in the first 11 months of 2018, up 23 percent year-on-year. Once the figures for December are released, the country is expected to have surpassed the target of 40 million foreign visitors, an all-time high.

The figures revealed that the country hosted nearly 43 million visitors, including Turkish expats living abroad, in the said period of this year, with a 21.35 percent year-on-year increase. The year 2018 was projected to close with a total of 45 million visitors.

Polatoğlu further said quotas for domestic tourists have fallen due to the interest of foreign tourists in hotels, and that 80 percent of the quotas for July and August are already over. "In order to reach the target of 50 million tourists in 2019, we must attach importance to culture and gastronomy tourism. Çatalhöyük and Göbeklitepe promotions are underway. Both the ministry and private sector representatives are doing their best in fairs abroad," he continued.

The world's oldest temple, considered the birthplace of early civilizations, Göbeklitepe will define the code of the Turkish tourism policy this year. In a bid to promote one of the most important and ancient archeological sites - located in Turkey's southeastern province of Şanlıurfa - the government has declared 2019 as the year of Göbeklitepe.

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Tourist numbers in Turkey leaped over 20 pct in 2018 – Daily Sabah

Turkey’s tourism industry was a bright spot in a financially difficult year in 2018, with visitor numbers climbing 21.84 percent year on year, pro-government newspaper Daily Sabah reported on Friday.

The 39.5 million foreign tourists who visited in Turkey brought an income of $29.5 billion to the country’s tourist sector, an increase of 12.3 percent, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s figures showed.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said a total of 46.1 million tourists visited Turkey last year, 6.6 million of whom were Turkish citizens who reside abroad.

Ersoy said during his keynote speech at the 23rd Eastern Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Exhibition in Istanbul that the Turkish government had revised its tourism targets for 2023 to 70 million tourists and an income of $70 billion, Daily Sabah reported.

The largest share at 13.4 million foreign tourists visited Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, while the resort city of Antalya on Turkey’s southern coast received 12.4 million foreign tourists.

At 5.96 visitors, the largest number of foreign tourists came from Russia last year, followed by Germany, Bulgaria, and the United Kingdom.

The influx of tourists will have provided a vital boost to local economies in Turkey, during a year of economic problems caused by high inflation and lira devaluation.

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Backpackers visiting Turkey spend more money than the average tourist, research finds

Backpackers coming to Turkey spend more money compared to the average tourist, contrary to popular belief that backpackers are 'cheapos' that don't like to cash out, research shows.

Backpackers are generally young people, who go on long trips with low budgets and sometimes work during their travels.

Backpackers coming to Istanbul are mainly from Germany, Australia, France, America and New Zealand. 56 percent are women, 44 percent are men and, 80 percent are single while nearly three-quarters are under 30 years old and more than three quarters have university education, according to statistics

On average, they stay in Turkey for 11.5 days, and 6 days in Istanbul. On the other hand, the average length of stay for all foreign tourists in Turkey is 4.3 days.

This means that the average length of stay of backpackers in Turkey is 2.6 times more than the average tourist. They also spend an average of $972 per person, which is almost $300 more than the average tourist spends.

The most popular destinations preferred by backpackers in Turkey are Cappadocia, Gallipoli, Ephesus, Hierapolis and Antalya, along with Istanbul.

Tourism, in addition to closing 60 percent of Turkey's current deficit, reflects positively on exports and foreign policy.

80 percent of tourists coming to Turkey support the country's EU membership, according to research carried out in Europe. On the other hand, 80 percent of those who have not visited Turkey oppose Turkey's EU membership

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