MeeTurkey February Issue

MEETURKEY February’2012 Year:18 No:67

Alternative Tourism & Incentive Magazine

Istanbul Foundation For Culture and Arts - IKSV - Celebrates 40Th Year

From the Editor

February’2012 Year:18 NO:67

CONGRATULATIONS - To IKSV (Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts) on their 40th year together with the Music Festival.

A very exciting program awaits the culture and music followers in Istanbul this year with also the possibility of enjoying events at unique venues.

Also, a new baby will be borne to the IKSV with the start of the 1st Istanbul Design Biennial in October 2012.

The additive value of the Festival to Istanbul has exceeded its limits and placed Istanbul/Turkey on the map of cultural trends to follow by the world traveller.

Trends in tourism changes fast and the trendy trend of today is CULTURE Tourism. In spite of the economical crisis visitors are more inclined to visit a city/country where they can enjoy the culture, history, food and fashion at the same time.

They prefer to walk and talk plus taste and enjoy.

- To Gonul Paksoy on the recent prizes she has received in Paris on the 14th November 2011.

The prizes were given to “Best Cook-Book Photography” and “Best Design for Professionals Cook-Book” .

It will not be a big surprise when she gets the world prize on these at the elections on 6th March 2012.

“Timeless Simplicity” is a good descriptive definition of her. Also, her works can be explained by her attitude towards life with the “Collection to Creation” exhibition and the book to that effect.

She creates Food and Fashion with the same spirit of perfection, dedication and love. Nothing is old or useless for Gonul as she can see the meaningful beauty in an old fabric or button and in a squeezed lemon or orange that can turn into a picturesque dish. Culinary Designs is the book just on what I am trying to tell.

Her food designs are “pictures from an exhibition on a table”. Her annual Sunday Lunch in mid-Jan or mid-Feb. is getting so popular that this event is a candidate for an award in designed hospitality by itself.

- To Ingrid Caruso Gersin that contributed to this issue by writing about Gonul Paksoy. Ingrid has been promoting Turkey in USA/NY for the past twenty years with her vast knowledge and love of Turkey. A connoisseur of the” best “in Turkey is the word to describe Ingrid and her achievements for Turkey.

Ingrid came to Istanbul for a pre-research into the 1st Istanbul Design Biennial to take place in midOctober until mid-December. A designer herself she hopes to lead designers to this 1st Istanbul Design Biennial.

Her “Misafir” Inc. formed in 1995 will be on the route for the promotion of Turkey in all levels and will “honor the guests” that will travel to Turkey, this time for the 1st Istanbul Design Biennial in October 2012. The Design of Culture:C magazine visited Turkey through her arrangement and published an issue on Turkey, in 2003.

- To Kate Clow and Caroline Finkel with their new published book on the Evliya Celebi and their contribution to the First Cultural Summit held at Ankara past December.

- To the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for their successful organization of the 1st Cultural Summit, Turkey - An Open Air Museum.

We have the 1st Cultural Summit and the Open Air Museum - Turkey by Kate Clow in this issue.

- To Alexandara Ivanoff for her contribution to the Meet at Music section. Her music reviews bring a new color and insight to the readers.

- To Fatma Torun Reid, the immediate Past and Present President of IFTA (International Family Therapy) Association. Fatma Torun Reid will open and announce the IFTA Congress at Vancouver/Canada on the 21st March as the President . She is a psycholog by profession and has a center in Istanbul but believing in the need to have this congress in Istanbul five years ago she has organized work-shops at the week-ends and succeeded in getting the Congress to Istanbul 5 years ago. She was so successful that she was chosen the President last year and her presidency will continue to 2013. Families create the society we live in and the societies create the nations, if the Families are corrupt or unbalanced or without values than the Nations tend to be the exact mirror of the Families that they have grown from. Without values, respect, or consideration of their fellow citizens that make up the society they live in. Nations that do not respect the core values of their own family and society should not expect to be respected and valued by other nations.

I have congratulated at the beginning and will end by Thanking to all that have contributed to the “Positive Lobbying” of Turkey in their own fields, successfully.

PUBLISHER Suat TÖRE suattore@smpublication.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Sevil ÖREN sevil@smpublication.com EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Kaya AKBAŞOĞLU kaya@smpublication.com Ali KIRGIZ ali@smpublication.com Kate CLOW kate@smpublication.com Füsun TÖRE fusun@smpublication.com Deniz TÜFEKÇİ deniz@smpublication.com Cahit ÜREN cahit@smpublication.com INT. RELATIONS Özgür TÖRE ozgur@ftnnews.com PUBLIC RELATIONS EXECUTIVE Özge TÖRE ozge@smpublication.com PHOTOS MeeTurkey Archive, Cekul, Gonul Paksoy - Reyhan Eksi, Kafkas Chesnuts COVER PHOTO La Fura dels Baus ART DIRECTOR Fatih TAHTALI OFFSET PREPARATION Repronet Reprodüksiyon FILM & PRINTED Özgür Matbaacılık

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Contents

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Second Rental Payment for Sabiha Gokcen International Airport Sabiha Gokcen, named after the first Turkish woman pilot, has been achieving recognition and getting prizes domestically and internationally. Nihat Ozdemir of the Limak Investment(LIMAK) said during the speech he gave on the occasion of the second rental payment of 76.514.851 Euro to the Defense Industry under-secretariat, on the 24th January, 2012.

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The History of The Chestnut As to historical sources, Anatolia is said to be the motherland of the chestnut. It is known that the chestnut was spread by the Greeks within Greece, and from there to Italy and other Mediterranean countries.

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Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts Celebrates 40 years The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has been taking an important part in the cultural and artistic life of Istanbul with its festivals and events for 40 years.

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1st Istanbul Design Biennial Emre Arolat and Joseph Grima have been appointed as the curators of the first Istanbul Design Biennial, which will be realized between 13 October - 12 December 2012 by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts.

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Istanbul CVB Honored Convention Ambassadors of Istanbul

Held under the patronage of Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Günay, Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB) organized the second edition of “Become a Convention Ambassador of Istanbul” program gathering and award ceremony at Haliç Congress Center.

CONTENTS

News Line Turkey Meet at Exhibitions Cover Story Meet at Music & Culture ICVB News Meet & Eat Meet at the Design Biennial News Line World Meet New Tourism Concept Food & Fashion MICE Destinations D.M. Companies

06 16 22 28 30 32 34 36 40 42 44 48

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Turkey, An open-air Museum.

Although Turkey is still associated with beach holidays, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism held a summit in Ankara at the end of last month titled “Turkey, an Open-Air Museum” to signal a change in direction.

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Food & Fashion I suppose that there are many ways in which one might approach writing about Food & Fashion in one place. There are current trends where both arts overlap, usually associated with the latest fashionable restaurants & experimental chefs. These can be quite a bit of fun, but…..

MEETURKEY Alternative Tourism & Incentive Magazine

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News Line Turkey

Turkey Hosted 31.4 million in 2011

Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry announced December statistics of tourist arrivals. According to the report, a total of 1.194.729 tourists visited Turkey in December 2011; an increase of 2.47% compare to December 2010. 31.456.076 tourists visited Turkey between January and December 2011. It shows that Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry is successful last year to surpass its targets and recorded a 9.86 percent increase in tourist arrivals in 2011 compare to a year earlier.

In December 2011, following Turkish cities welcomed top tourists.

1- ISTANBUL %45,92 (548.591) 2- EDIRNE %14,64 (174.888) 3- ANTALYA %9,80 (117.142) 4- ARTVIN %8,21 (98.068) 5- AGRI %4,19 (50.050) On the other hand, Antalya ranked first when we look at the whole year. Top Tourist arrivals in Turkish cities between January and December 2011 are as follows: 1- ANTALYA %33,27 (10.464.425) 2- ISTANBUL %25,61 (8.056.390) 3- MUGLA %9,78 (3.076.508) 4- EDIRNE %8,59 (2.703.085) 5- IZMIR %4,36 (1.370.018) Top nationalities visited Turkey in December 2011 is as follows: 1.Germany % 12,96 (154 884) 2.Bulgaria % 9,35 (111 695) 3.Iran % 8,19 (97 882) Georgia, Syria, Greece, Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, France and UK followed Iran. On the other hand, top nationalities visited Turkey in 2011 is as follows, 1.Germany % 15,34 (4.826.315) 2.Russian Federation % 11,03 (3.468.214) 3.UK % 8,21 (2.582.054) Iran, Bulgaria, The Netherlands, Georgia, France, Syria and USA followed UK.

Green Globe Announces New Partnership in Turkey Green Globe Certification has announced a new partnership with OrganicEra based in Istanbul, Turkey.

OrganicEra is a leading supplier of hotel towels, bed linen and other textile items manufactured with organically certified materials.

Green Globe CEO Mr Guido Bauer said, ‘This is an interesting and exciting new partnership for Green Globe Certification. For some time we have been looking for a new partner with experience from the travel and tourism supply chain.

At the same time we have also needed a partner to cover the

important tourism regions of Turkey.

‘OrganicEra offers experience in both fields and we look forward to working with Ms Nur Begen and her team in delivering sustainability certification across Turkey’, added Mr Bauer.

OrganicEra is a supplier of high quality textile products such as towels, bathrobes, bed linen made of both organic and conventional cotton. OrganicEra also supplies 100% organic clothing like t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, underwear and sleepwear, and children’s’ toys. All OrganicEra organic products are made with pride in Turkey from the finest quality cotton certified

by Control Union, a Dutch certification organization.

TCA, TCF Opened a New Office in Washington

issues, Turkish Americans have a role to play.”

The joint TCA/TCF office, looking out on the Washington Monument from 1510 H St. NW, has already become a central meeting place and second home for many friends and allies, particularly in the minority communities, where TCA and TCF The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) and the Turkish have worked in recent years to build relationships through events, scholarships, exchange trips and public education. In recognition Cultural Foundation (TCF) celebrated the official opening of these deepening ties, the reception played host to leaders from the Native American, African American, Hispanic American, of their new Washington, Macedonian American, Bosnian American and Azeri American D.C. office with a lively reception featuring minority community communities. leaders, embassy officials, and Members of Congress.

Namik Tan, the Turkish Ambassador to the United States, along “We are extraordinarily proud of our new home,” said G. Lincoln McCurdy, TCA President, “and even prouder of the milestone this with a number of his embassy officials, represented Turkey at the reception. represents for the Turkish American community. By establishing an office blocks from the White House, in the heart of the nation’s Additionally, Congress was well represented at the reception, capital, we are helping send a message: Turkish Americans have a with 13 Members of Congress in attendance. For the last four years, TCA has been one of the most active supporters of the voice, have an identity and have a place in this country. Whether Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans, which the discussion is about politics, policy, the arts or other cultural during that time has more than doubled in size to 132 Members.

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News Line Turkey

Istanbul Declared as 2012 European Capital of Sports Istanbul has been declared as 2012 European Capital of Sports during European Flag Transfer Ceremony held at European Parliament.

Istanbul Mayor Kadir Toptaş who is in Brugge since Capital of Sports title has been awarded to Istanbul signed the Sports Quality Certificate and received 2010 Capital of Sports Award officially. European Capitals of Sports Association Chairman Gian Francesco Lupetelli, Mayor of Valencia Rita Barbera Nolla, Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Kadir Topbaş participated in the ceremony held in European Parliament conference hall. Ministry of State and EU Chief Negotiator Egemen Bağış and capped basketball player Ibrahim Kutluay, were present in the ceremony. Since it has been declared as 2011 European Capital of Sports, Valencia received the Flag and Sports Quality Certificate from ACES Chairman Francesco Lupetelli.

Valencia will host ACES Silver Plate and the Flag in 2011.

Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Kadir Topbaş said that they carried Istanbul’s sports facilities and infrastructure to very advanced levels with the investments they made in recent years.

Topbaş, who pointed out that Capital of Sports Title will serve Istanbulities to sport more, reminded that 170 thousand people participated in Eurasia Marathon and added that they want

everyone to sport; women or men, old or young people.

Mayor Kadir Topbaş, who stated that sports is a very important activity area to carry the humanity to future, said that they will focus more on the sports activities in the city after Istanbul has been elected as 2012 European Capital of Sports. After his speech Topbaş received the certificate for ‘2012 Capital of Sports’ from European Capital of Sports Association Chairman Gian Francesco Lupetelli.

Antalya Convention Bureau Announced its 2011 Meeting Statistics According to the information given by Antalya Convention Bureau, in 2010, 40 international, 46 national, in total 86 conventions were realized in Antalya.

In 2011, these numbers increased by %81; Antalya hosted, 56 international, 100 national, in total 156 congresses in 2011.

ACB announced that Maritim Pine Beach Hotel ranks first with 17 meetings.

Considering the DMCs, Serenas Tourism is the primary agent. The two major congresses of 2011 with 2000 attendances were realized in Maxx Royal Hotel

and Maritim Pine Beach Hotel by Serenas Tourism and by Topkon Congress.

Antalya Convention Bureau declared that in 2011, Belek is once more the most popular region of the Congress Tourism and that the most common issue held was Medical Field like in 2010. Nevertheless, Antalya hosted many different meetingcongress about Agriculture, Fitness, Pharmaceuticals, Veterinary, Statistics, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, Physics, Technology, Cosmetology, Law, Fisheries, Geography, Archaeology...

Sinan İnan, the General Manager of Antalya Convention Bureau said that the most intense period for Congress Sector is the winter time and this proves us the ability of Congress Tourism to increase the “High Season” to 12 months in Antalya. İnan also mentioned: “After taking ICCA 2014 General Assembly, ITAA 2012, ABTA 2012, Antalya, has increased its recognition on international platform. According to our international congress statistics, we see an increase of 40 per cent in 2011. These statistics show us this rapid development of Congress Sector in Antalya. But today, this sector needs to be moved to higher level to complete its evolution with a new congress center”.

Turkish Film Festival Popular in Indonesia After successful organization of the Jakarta Turkish Film Festival in 2010, the second Jakarta Turkish Festival organized in Indonesian capital; Jakarta between 30 September and 2 October 2011.

The Jakarta Turkish Film Festival 2011 was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey.

During the festival, Indonesian

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audience enjoyed the highly acclaimed Turkish films: “Eyvah Eyvah”, “Neşeli Hayat”, “Av Mevsimi”, “Vavien” and “New Yorkta Beş Minare”.

The Jakarta Turkish Film Festival brings together the most important and most awarded state-of-the-art films of the contemporary Turkish cinema for Indonesian movie lovers.

The festival opened on September 30th with a Gala Reception at the venue of the festival; Blitz Megaplex in Pacific Place.

News Line Turkey

MPI Turkey Club and Antalya CB Organised Education Seminar MPI Turkey Club Education Committee and Antalya Convention Bureau jointly organized an education seminar that brought together industry professionals at Divan Talya Hotel on December 14, 2011. A total of 85 people comprising of hoteliers, solution partners, professional congress organizers, students and teachers from Antalya attended the seminar. The seminar titled “Overview of Meeting Industry and Destination Marketing” participated by a crowded group of speakers shared their experiences and knowledge with the audience. At the opening speeches, ACB General Manager; A. Sinan Inan, Antalya Promotion Foundation and ACB Vice President of the Board of Directors; Nizamettin Şen, and ACB Chairman of the Board of Directors; Çetin Osman Budak stressed the importance of education to achieve their target and reported their support. MPI Turkey Club President; Handan Boyce, MPI Board Member; Roel Frissen, ICVB General Manager; Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu, Visitor Chairman of the Board of Directors and Former Chairman of the Board of Directors at TURSAB; Talha Çamaş, and Assistant Sales Director for Hilton – Conrad – ParkSA Istanbul Region; H. Hakan Bakır shared the point of view Antalya should have in order to present itself as a Congress Destination; while presenting successful examples Istanbul achieved. MPI Turkey Club continues to provide important services and contribution to the industry.

Turkey’s 2012 Advertisements Revealed Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry announced its $45 million global advertising campaign for 2012.

Beside the 3S promotion which is Sea-Sand-Sun, Turkey is going to be promoted as a modern country with a deep-rooted cultural heritage, highlighting its range of international sport and major artistic events, as well as its hot climate.

The advertising agencies are revealed after a tender that took place in Rome, Italy. According to the result of the tender, following agencies won the tender for 2011 Advertisement of Turkey: East and South Europe, Balkans, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Japan and India: dDf USA, Russia, and Turkish Republics: Iconisus, UK: Öykü Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland: Grey China and Malaysia: Global Raytur

8 Million Visited Istanbul in 2011 Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry Istanbul Directorate announced the number of foreign tourist arrivals to Istanbul in 2011.

According to the report, a total of 8.057.879 tourists visited Istanbul in 2011; an increase of 16 per cent compare to 2010.

In 2011, following nationalities visited Istanbul: German:%12.2, Russian:%6.1, USA:%5.5, Italian:%5.1, French:%5.0, British:%4.9, Iranian:%4.5, Dutch:%2.9, Spanish:%2.5, Japanese:%2.1, Ukrainian:%1.9, Iraqi %1.9, Azerbaijani:%1.9, Austrian:%1.6, Turkmens :%1.7, Other nationalities: 40.1

Award Winning Movies from African Cinema Coming to Istanbul Modern Istanbul Modern Cinema presents a selection from the African cinema that though considered a relatively newcomer with its continental history of cinema dating only half a century back, has already enriched the global art realm with unique film productions. Between January 5-22, within the programme called “Africa”, a selection of 10 films curated by Mahir Saul, a professor who is an expert in African

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anthropology at the Illinois University, will be presented. This selection of masterpieces from the African cinema initiated in 1960’s, is made in order to expose African moviemaking to the audience in İstanbul. Films display the surprisingly wide range of variety of the African cinema from traditional arts to video and avant-garde. Some of these films are awarded works at Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), the most important film festival of Africa, and some are works that became world classics or are really striking by their innovative style.

MEETURKEY Alternative Tourism & Incentive Magazine

News Line Turkey

“Free” Support to Tourism from Akbank

Akbank has defined the tourism industry, one of the locomotive sectors of the economic growth, with comprehensive industrial research and has developed the “Tourism Support Plan” after identifying the expectations of the industry regarding the future.

Akbank has taken an important step in order to extend its support for the tourism sector, a key element of the basis of the stable future growth of the Turkish economy. Akbank has ordered comprehensive research on the industry with which to monitor the development of tourism and to define the investment trends and has moved to extend its support for the industry in light of the results of the study. Turkey meets approximately five percent of the total accommodation capacity of the European Union, while around 50 percent of the total bed capacity of Turkey is maximum 10 years old. Turkey is among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of tourism with its total bed capacity of one million including businesses and municipality-certification.

The study, conducted at the behest of Akbank, includes all players in the sector including hotels, cafes, restaurants, agencies, and stores nationwide and reflects the existing situation of the industry as well as future expectations. According to the study, 71 percent of the business believes 2011 was a positive year.

Thirty-four percent of the companies in the industry launched a renovation project or made an investment in 2011. The total sales of 53 percent of the companies in the accommodation sector have increased in the last two years.

The study concluded that the industrial expectations regarding 2012 are pretty positive. Seventytwo percent of the companies

expect their sales to increase in the next two years.

Fifty-eight percent of the companies that participated in the research believe their facilities will grow in 2012, while 67 percent think their occupancy rates will increase in two years. The study, an important resource for planning and expectations in the industry by reflecting recent developments, indicated that the number of tourists and the income from tourism will continue to grow in the coming two years despite a number of negative factors that might arise in various regions.

In developing the Tourism Support Package for the industry, Akbank is offering a number of benefits to companies along with the flexible loan conditions. According to this, those companies improving their businesses by using loans under the Akbank Tourism Support Package will have flexibility on the maturity of the loan and repayment conditions as well as cost advantage. Companies operating within the tourism industry will also reap the benefits of the “free services” in payments and collections made to second and third parties including suppliers and tour operators.

Akbank’s Vice General Manager In charge of SMEs Kaan Gür underlined that the importance of tourism for Turkey will increase in the coming period, adding, “Above all, as our carbon quotas decrease with growing industrialization, our search for alternatives will intensify. In this regard, we believe that special attention should be given to tourism investments in Turkey, ranked among the top 10 countries in the world with its total bed capacity of over one million. Our support for the sector will increasingly continue in order to help Turkey reach its targets in the tourism industry.”

As a result of this awareness, the tourism industry’s investments continue uninterrupted, Gür said. “We, at the Akbank’s SME banking department, have developed the Tourism Support Package for SMEs operating in the tourism industry, such as agencies, operators, stores and restaurants. Our companies will be able to get an Akbank Tourism Support Loan, not only for their new investments but also for their operational needs for the new season. Our customers using the Tourism Support Loan will also receive a number of advantages, such as free money transfer, EFT and check collection in line with the amount of their loans,” Gür added.

Gür also said, “Akbank customers using a Tourism Support Loan of up to 100,000 TL will be able to make an unlimited number of money transfers and EFTs through Akbank’s Corporate Internet Branch free of charge and 10 money transfers, 10 EFTs and 10 check collections through Akbank branches for free of charge for three months after using credit. Akbank customers using a Tourism Support Loan over 100,000 TL will make an unlimited number of money transfers and EFTs through the Akbank’s Corporate Internet Branch free of charge and 20 money transfers, 20 EFTs and 20 check collections through Akbank branches free of charge for three months after using credit.”

Turkish Psychologist to Open Global Conference Turkish psychologist Fatma Torun Reid, president of the (International Family Therapy ) Association (IFTA), will welcome hundreds of professionals from scores of countries March 21 when the Association’s 2012 congress opens in Vancouver,Canada. The congress’s theme will be “Couples Therapy:Advancing the Profession.”

Keynote speakers, workshop presenters, and other specialists will share their experiences

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in dealing with the kinds of couples and family problems that seem to be emerging more and more in today’s world. The congress will mark IFTA’S 25th anniversary. Fatma Reid will accompany a large Turkish contingent to the Vancouver meeting.

“I know that our group will really enrich the congress,” she told MeeTurkey. “Family therapy is making important advances in Turkey.”

Contemporary Istanbul 2011 Celebrated its 6th Anniversary Turkey’s most comprehensive contemporary art event to date, Contemporary Istanbul celebrated its 6th anniversary.

The premier art fair of the region gathered art lovers on November 24-27 at Istanbul Congress Center, Exhibition Area and Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center, Rumeli Hall.

Contemporary Istanbul showcased contemporary paintings, sculptures, videos, photographs, installations and limited editions with the participation of national and foreign galleries. This edition brought together 90 contemporary art galleries from 20 countries, half of them international, featuring art initiatives, independent projects and publications along with art institutions in addition to exhibitions. 3000 contemporary artworks by 526 local and global artists were exhibited, more than 1000 collectors visited Contemporary Istanbul, more than 60.000 visitors were in CI 2011. Contemporary Istanbul hosted galleries, artists, curators, art critics and collectors from the Gulf Region in its “New Horizons” section. In the CI Dialogues Conference Series, where the contemporary art of today and tomorrow was discussed throughout the fair, Turkish and international collectors, artists, art directors and critics contribute to a series of panels.

During the exhibition that Akbank Private Banking sponsored for the 5th time, the Akbank Private Lounge hosted the

“Contemporary Artists Exhibition” that has been presented for 30 years by the Art and Sculpture Museum Association and the interactive applied arts education for children. Having completed the attempts for insuring art works through AkSigorta, Contemporary Istanbul fair started insuring art works that are bought during the fair.

The 7th Leyla Gencer Voice Competition Kicks Off The new stars of the opera world will rise once more in the Istanbul skies at the 7th Leyla Gencer Voice Competition.

The Leyla Gencer Voice Competition organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) together with Accademia del Teatro alla Scala and sponsored

by Doğuş Group and Garanti Bank will be held on 15-20 September 2012, with the contributions of Borusan Holding.

The competition’s preliminary auditions will be held in Berlin, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Milano and Vienna, in April and May 2012. The finals are then to be held in September 2012, in Istanbul.

The Leyla Gencer Voice Competition is organised biennially by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts together with Accademia del Teatro alla Scala. Dedicated to the honourable memory of “La Diva Turca” Leyla Gencer, and held under her patronage before she passed away in 2008, the competition has earned worldwide reputation fast and sound.

In its 7th edition, the Leyla Gencer Voice Competition is honoured to have Mirella Freni to preside the jury, which accommodates some of the most influential figures from different fields in the profession. The competition distinguishes also for its winners of the previous years who have all subsequently launched on truly international careers - including some of the true stars of our

day such as Pretty Yende, Pervin Çakar, Nino Machaidze, Anita Rachvelishvili, Marcello Alvarez and Nikola Mijailovic.

The preliminary auditions for the 7th Leyla Gencer Voice Competition will start at the end of April and will continue into May. This edition welcomes London, Madrid and Vienna as new centres, along with the well-established centres of Berlin, Istanbul and Milano. The schedule is as follows: Berlin - Thursday, 26 April London - Friday, 4 May Vienna - Monday, 7 May Madrid - Thursday, 10 May Milano - Monday, 14 May Istanbul - Wednesday &Thursday, 16-17 May The competition will culminate in the final series in Istanbul on 15-20 September 2012. Following the quarter-finals on the 16th and 17th, the semi final on the 18th will be a public event at Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall. The 8 finalists to be designated here will then compete in the final, which will be a grand public event at Hagia Eirene with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra on stage to accompany the singers on 20 September 2012.

Sponsored by Doğuş Group and Garanti Bank with the contributions of Borusan Holding, the 7th Leyla Gencer Voice Competition will bestow the following prizes upon the winners: €12,500 for the 1st prize, €7,500 for the 2nd prize, and €3,500 for the 3rd prize. As a new award in this edition, Accademia del Teatro alla Scala grants a three-month scholarship to one of the finalists.

Furthermore, the competition as always offers the striking young talents opportunities for new engagements on international stages.

Deadline for entries: 16 April 2012 The applicants need to submit their documents to the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) by 5pm on Monday, 16 April.

The Competition is open to all voice categories for singers between the ages of 18 and 32 (born after 20 September 1980).

Please visit the website www.leylagencer.org for full terms and conditions, as well as for more detailed information on the competition.

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News Line Turkey

Tourism Malaysia to re-open its Istanbul Office

Malaysia Tourism Minister Dato Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen announced in Istanbul that Tourism Malaysia is re-opening its Istanbul office.

Tourism Malaysia organized an evening on November 15, 2011 at The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul to announce the opening of Istanbul office as well as inform new tourism strategies of Malaysia.

Malaysia Tourism Minister Dato Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen made a presentation to invited guests representing travel agents, airlines, and media. President of Association of Turkish Travel Agencies; Basaran Ulusoy, Turkish Airlines CEO Hamdi Topcu joined the evening.

Minister who first arrived to Izmir, Turkey expressed her joy of unforgettable moments at the Ephesus, where she experienced thousands of year’s history with her own eyes. Mrs. Ng Yen Yen said, Turkey should definitely promote itself more with its history and archeology in Asia.

“Tourism Malaysia would like to work closely, exchange knowledge, and even sometimes we exchange common officers’ visits together so that we can strengthen both countries tourism relations. It is included not just tourism but investments as well.

We would like to see more Malaysians investing into Turkish tourism industry, and hopefully also Turkish people invest in Malaysia’s tourism industry,” said Mrs. Ng Yen Yen. “We would like to see more direct flights between Turkey and Malaysia, either with Turkish Airlines or Malaysian Airlines.

Not just to Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur but other cities in both countries.” added Mrs. Ng Yen Yen. Mrs. Ng Yen Yen revealed their target of welcoming 100,000 Turkish tourists in Malaysia.

Mrs. Ng Yen Yen also congratulated Istanbul Mayor, Kadir Topbaş for his vision of making Istanbul beautiful. “I see many changes this time in Istanbul since I came few years ago. New trams, clean city and a new museum of modern art.”

Malaysian delegation welcomed and entertained Turkish guests with Malay dances and music.

At the night, 5 lucky people; including me won a sample of Malaysian textile and one executive from Qatar Airways Istanbul office won a complimentary holiday trip to Malaysia at the Tourism Malaysia lucky draw.

SSM hosts Turkish Painting from the Ottoman Reformation to the Republic

Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) showcases its extensive painting collection under the title “While a Country is Changing - Turkish Painting from the Ottoman Reformation to the Republic”. The collection, containing the works of the significant artists of Turkish Painting, such as Osman Hamdi Bey, Halil Paşa, Abdülmecid Efendi and İzzet Ziya, Fikret Muallâ is exhibited permanently in the gallery designed exclusively

for the exhibition. The exhibition, which has been carried out under the scientific consultancy of by Prof. Dr. Semra Germaner and Assoc. Prof. Ahu Antmen, gives the visitors a chance to oversee the historical journey of Turkish Painting. The collection, created by additions to Sakıp Sabancı’s private collection in time, presents a wide spectrum to Turkish Painting art from a collector’s standpoint on the modernization process from the Ottoman Empire to Turkish Republic. The paintings, that Sakıp Sabancı gathered through his personal interest for a certain era of Turkish Painting, gives a hint about the initial phase of the development process of the art of painting in Turkey. The exhibition also reveals the transition in the production of images and the alteration of the concepts of art and artist in Turkey.

European Investment Bank Provided € 400m. for the Turkish State Railways The European Investment Bank provided EUR 400 million in favour of the Turkish State Railways TCDD as a further contribution to the country’s main transport corridor between Ankara and Istanbul.

The additional funding brings the total EIB support for the high speed railway line (HSL) to EUR 1.25 billion and the total value of EIB support for the Turkish rail system in the last decade to some EUR 2.4 billion. This facility further consolidates the position of EIB as Turkey’s key financial partner for the funding of priority railway

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projects and the country’s efforts to re-balance its transport mode mix in favour of the railways.

This flagship project was first financed by the EIB in 2006. It aims at building the country’s first high speed railway between the country’s two largest cities. The project will lead to significant time gains for travelers along the corridor and will assist economic development and quality of life as well as generating significant environmental benefits. The project constitutes a key element of the Government’s plans to increase the share of rail transport by improving productivity and effectiveness of railway operations. It will interconnect with the Marmaray Bosphorus Tunnel, enabling train connections across the two continents.

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Second Rental Payment for Sabiha Gokcen International Airport

Sabiha Gokcen, named after the first Turkish woman pilot, has been achieving recognition and getting prizes domestically and internationally. Nihat Ozdemir of the Limak Investment(LIMAK) said during the speech he gave on the occasion of the second rental payment of 76.514.851 Euro to the Defense Industry under-secretariat, on the 24th January, 2012. Nihat Ozdemir also added that the realization of this success was due to their personal and institutional efforts as well as the stable growth of the Turkish Economy. One of the most important “Build-OperateTransfer” projects of the Turkish Civil Aviation History, had the

signature of the ISG(Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport Investment Building and Operations A.S.) ISG was established with the partnership of Limak Investment, GMR Infrastructure and Malasia Airports Berghad triple consortium.

SG airport was borne on 1998 but started paddling in 2001. With the partnership of LIMAK, GMR and MAHB on 1st May, 2008 the first terminal opened and with the new developments and additions the the terminal started working at full capacity by 31st October, 2009 and in two years time became a collector of prizes in the airport design, construction and real estate development for the benefit of the public service. At the ceremony present were; ISGMalasian partner MAHB member of the Board of Directors, Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad, Defense Industry undersecretary Murad Bayar, ISG Deputy Board of Director Nihat Ozdemir and ISG Indian partner, International Airports, CEO, P.Sripathy.

Sevil Oren,Gokhan Bugday,CEO SGIA,Lale Kaplan, Chief Legal Adviser SGIA

In Brief Adnan Evrim

Ahmet Bolat

Massimiliano Zanardi

Abdullah Akkurt

Begum Aykac

Cemal Hosgul

Faik Kaptanoglu

l Mehmet Mulayim has been appointed to Noah’s Ark Deluxe Hotel & Casino as General Mehmet Mulayim Manager as of December 1, 2011. l Marti Myra Tekirova Hotel in Antalya appointed Adnan Evrim as the General Manager. l Turkish Airlines’ Board of Directors appointed Dr. Ahmet Bolat as General Manager of Investments and Technology Management. l Ekin Tamer has been assigned to Dedeman Hotels & Resorts International as the Purchasing Manager.

Ekin Tamer l The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul has announced the appointment of its new General Manager.

Massimiliano Zanardi has been appointed as the new General Manager of the hotel. l Gazella Tourism announced the appointment of Begüm Aykaç as the new Corporate Sales and Marketing Manager. l Turkish Airlines’ Board of Directors also appointed Abdullah Soner Akkurt as General Cemil Baykal Manager of Commercial Director. l Cemil Baykal has been appointed Kusadasi Ephesus Convention Center as Managing Director. l Federation of Turkish Hoteliers (TUROFED) held their General Assembly and Osman Ayik is elected as the new President of TUROFED. Osman Ayık l Onur Air announced that after the resign of General Manager Mr. Şahabettin Bolukçu, Chairman of the carrier Mr. Cankut Bagana will manage his duty as well. l Dedeman Hotels & Resorts International announced appointment of a new Sales Director.

Pelin Ulusoy named new Sales Director of the company. Previously, Bulent Kayapehlivan was the Sales Director of Dedeman Hotels & Resorts International. l Istanbul’s new hotel; Hilton Garden Inn Istanbul Golden Horn announced the Pelin Ulusoy appointment of Cemal Hoşgül as the hotel’s General Manager. l Mövenpick Hotel Istanbul appointed Zeynep Adiguzel as Revenue and Reservation Director. l Alanya Tourism and Promotion Foundation (ALTAV) re-elected its president Faik Melih Kaptanoğlu at the recent General Assembly held at Antalya Chamber of Commerce.

Zeynep Adiguzel

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February’2012

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Exhibition

EIBTM, a Reed Travel Exhibitions Event, held in Barcelona and has seen record attendance and is set to deliver outstanding business opportunities. With over 65,000 pre-scheduled appointments (16% increase on 2010) selected by 4,150 accepted Hosted Buyers with over 3,127 exhibitors – business activity on the show floor has been exceptional. Event Director EIBTM Graeme Barnett commented, “We are on target to deliver what we believe will be the most dynamic event in the shows

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February’2012

EIBTM 2011

history. The levels of business activity witnessed over the first two days have been phenomenal”.

The first two days have also seen 67 Education seminars sessions and 13 colocated events. Standing room only at the Association programme, a fully subscribed Agency and Corporate Programmes, up to the minute research presented by Rob Davidson and a CEO Summit with over 60 business leaders from 20 countries.

Fiona Chappell, Director, Business Development (UK/Europe), Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau commented, “The first day at the show has been better than all three at any other

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meeting and events exhibition we have attended this year. We had a lead from a company in Germany for over 1,500 people and they weren’t even on our radar. What’s also been good, is that I met someone who I have been trying to connect with for a long while – so over all it’s been great.”

Buyers continue to flock Turkey stand on the second day of EIBTM. Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry organized a cocktail at the stand where lucky buyers won Istanbul holiday packages. Moreover, buyers also enjoyed a live Jazz concert.

Born in Stockholm to Swedish and Turkish parents, Ilhan Ersahin performed at Turkey stand for EIBTM visitors.

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February’2012

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Exhibition

International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) facilitated almost 50,000 individual meetings between the industry’s elite when it took place in Cannes.

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February’2012

ILTM- Cannes

By introducing over 1250 high-end travel suppliers to over 1250 VIP buyers, the 10th anniversary edition of ILTM demonstrated that it is the only meeting point for the industry’s movers and shakers.

“ILTM goes from strength to strength.

2011 has been the best yet. It remains one of the most well organised and relevant

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trade shows for the luxury travel industry,” added Mike Bonner, General Manager UK, Ireland & Middle East at Silversea Cruises.

Turkey attended with a better location this year. Turkey represented with 32 companies at ILTM.

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Exhibition

ATF 2012 Tourism ministers from 10 Southeast Asian nations gathered in Manado, Indonesia, on January 8-15 for the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) and a Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) exhibition. Over 1,400 registered TRAVEX delegates from across ASEAN and the rest of the world attended the leading travel exhibition of Asia Pacific.

The newly constructed Golden Kawanua Exhibition Hall, venue for ATF 2012 TRAVEX, hosted about 1,000 exhibitors, 390 buyers

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from 51 countries and 103 media delegates from 36 countries.

Thailand and Cambodia have announced they will issue a single 30-day tourist visa to non-ASEAN visitors from February 1, with Vietnam and Laos to be brought into the ambit by end of 2012.

India and ASEAN member states signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will lead to cooperation on several levels to boost each other’s tourism business.

With the lift of most travel boycotts, Myanmar’s tourism industry players are expecting visitor numbers to rise by some 30 percent this year. According to data from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, in the first

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eight months of 2011, the country recorded 221,190 arrivals; up 20.39 percent over the same period in 2010. Of the total, some 66.92 percent were Asian visitors, with Thailand as the largest market, followed by China, South Korea, and Japan. Europe contributed 22,19 percent of total arrivals between January and August 2011.

Flooding and a strong yen hit Thai travelers; the number of Thais travelling abroad record a 10 percent fall in September 2011. According to Thai Travel Agents Association about 4 million Thais travelled overseas in the first eight months of 2011. The total outbound travelers expected to count 5.7 million in 2011

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Cover Story

Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts Celebrates 40 years

T

FILM

he Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has been taking an important part in the cultural and artistic life of Istanbul with its festivals and events for 40 years.

IKSV, celebrating its 40th Year Anniversary in 2012, has announced this year’s special activities and its future plans at a press meeting.

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts founded under the leadership

THEATRE

MUSIC

JAZZ

of Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı with the goal to present the finest examples of the world’s culture and arts, new initiatives and different movements to Istanbul’s art lovers, to promote Turkey’s cultural multiplicity to the world and to transform Istanbul into an important centre of the international culture and arts platform, has become the pioneer of Istanbul’s cultural and artistic life with the festivals and events it has organised for 40 years.

BIENNIAL

DESIGN

The 40th anniversary activities and special events of İKSV were announced at a press meeting held in Salon located in the foundation building on Tuesday, 17 January. Bülent Eczacıbaşı, Chair of the Board of Directors of İKSV not only shared the special activities that will be organised as part of the 40th Year Anniversary celebrations, but also provided information on the Istanbul Film, Theatre, Music and Jazz Festivals,

Cover Story

the Leyla Gencer Voice Competition, Filmekimi, and the Istanbul Design Biennial that will be held for the first time this year.

Bülent Eczacıbaşı, Chair of the Board of Directors of İKSV who stated that in the 40 years, İKSV had become an institution that organises four festivals on international levels and two biennials and realises exclusive events throughout the year, said “Initially founded with the aim of organizing a single “Istanbul Festival”, the İKSV has transformed itself, over a period of 40 years, into an institution that runs four festivals, two biennials and holds numerous special

events throughout the year. We are proud to celebrate our 40th anniversary as a non-profit institution involved in culture and the arts. Our dreams, as we celebrate İKSV’s 40th anniversary, go beyond the organisation of culture and art events.

Through our activities, we wish to support the development of young individuals, cultivate artists specialized in their own fields, strengthen the international ties of artists and art enthusiasts, ensure the development of participatory and sustainable cultural policies in our country, and contribute to the production of contemporary art in Turkey.”

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The Vice Chairmen of the Board of Directors Ahmet Kocabıyık and Münir Ekonomi also attended the İKSV’s 40th Year Anniversary press meeting and answered the questions. All the İKSV employees were also present at the meeting.

For its 40th Year Anniversary, İKSV is preparing a book where these 40 years’ memories will be told by its founders, employees, supporters, artists and spectators. The transformations sustained by the foundation from its set up point until today, the major events February’2012

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and important turning points will be told with the testimonies of people involved in this process in the book, which will be published in June when the foundation’s anniversary will be celebrated. The book aiming to reflect the 40 years history of an institution that guided Istanbul’s culture and art life with testimonies from contributors to this history, will record the foundation, the institutionalisation and growth story of the first non-profit culture and arts institution of Turkey with firsthand experiences. İKSV is preparing to celebrate its 40th Year Anniversary with many exclusive events. The world famous performance company La Fura dels Baus, renowned for its magnificent street theatre events, as well as for its theatre and opera interpretations, will perform the world premiere of its new project commissioned by İKSV on the anniversary of the beginning of the very first Istanbul Festival.

The world premiere of the “Istanbul, Istanbul” project by the world famous Catalonian La Fura dels Baus for İKSV will be held on the nights of Thursday, 21 June and Friday, 22 June at the Haliç Camialtı Tersanesi.

“Istanbul, Istanbul” will be an encounter lasting from the past to the future with an amazing show underlining the strong relationship founded between İKSV and Istanbul.

La Fura dels Baus founded in Barcelona in 1979, besides the opening show of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games stood out with its open air shows realised in many big cities. Many of the works of the company that took place in the Salzburg Festival

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with their operas, are performed in La Scala, Sidney, Bochum, Paris, Rome and Tokyo Operas and Bolshoi Theatre. In 1999, La Fura dels Baus also had a huge impact with its faust 3.0 show in Turkey at the 11th Istanbul Theatre Festival.

Another important event that will be held by İKSV in its 40th year is the concert of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with its principal conductor Sir Simon Rattle.

The surprise of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle concert held on Thursday 27 September at the Haliç Convention Centre is the presence of the internationally acclaimed young Turkish soloists, cellist Efe and his contrabassist brother Fora Baltacıgil.

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, eagerly followed by music enthusiasts for 130

years, is considered as one of the most important classical music organisations of the world today. Since 2002, Sir Simon Rattle has been the Musical Director and

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the Principal Conductor of the orchestra, which has performed under important composers such as Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, Johannes Brahms and Edvard Grieg.

Today, Efe Baltacıgil, who is especially praised with his “wonderful tone, strong personality and expression depth”, is one our most internationally renowned cellists.

Efe Baltacıgil making a bright beginning to his career with the 2005 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the Peter Jay Sharp Prize and the Washington Performing Arts Society Prize, has been the principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra since September 2011.

As for his brother Fora Baltacıgil graduated from the Istanbul State University Conservatory and the Curtis Institute of Music, after having acquired his first orchestral experience in the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, he has performed at the Philadelphia Orchestra and then as the principal bass at the Minnesota Orchestra.

In 2009, he joined the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as the first Turkish artist to do so. The brothers coming together for duo projects recently became a part of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. İKSV’s 40th year anniversary concert performed by the Baltacıgil brothers pursuing their careers abroad and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted

by Sir Simon Rattle will be definitely remembered for a long time.

In 2012, İKSV will also realise exclusive events for the 400th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Turkey and the Netherlands.

The Nederlands Dans Theatre, which is the most important contemporary dance representative in Europe and one of the bests of the world, will be in Istanbul for two exclusive shows on Thursday, 14 June and Friday, 15 June. The company, which first came to Istanbul in 2004 for the 32nd Istanbul Music Festival, will meet the spectator with a programme composed of productions of its young and dynamic group NDT 2 and worldly renowned choreographers Jiří Kylián, Paul Lightfoot, Sol Leon and Alexander Ekman. The Dutch company, founded in 1959 and of which Paul Lightfoot is the Art Director, performs more than 160 shows per year all around the world.

Another organisation held within the framework of the celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey, is the concert of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with the guest conductor Lorin Maazel on Saturday, 10 November at the Haliç Congress Centre. Accepted as one of the best symphonic orchestras of the world, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is comprised of 120 virtuosos. The Orchestra conducted by many important composers as Strauss, Mahler, Debussy and Stravinsky since 1888

Cover Story when it was founded, was named the best orchestra of 2007 by the BBC Music Magazine. The company which performed at the closing concert of the 35th Istanbul Music Festival under the conduction of chef-conductor Mariss Jansons in 2007, will once again be in Istanbul in 2012 with one of the world’s most prestigious conductors, Lorin Maazel.

Besides those special projects, several concerts will be held during the Istanbul Jazz Festival for the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the diplomatic relations.

The “Year of Chinese Culture in Turkey 2012” aiming to strengthen the cultural rapprochement and political relations between Turkey and China, will also be celebrated with activities organised by İKSV. This relation will be pursued as the “Year of Turkish Culture in China” in 2013, and will enable people to get to know each other in depth through culture and the arts. İKSV will devote special sections to the “2012 Year of Chinese Culture in Turkey” throughout the Istanbul Festivals in

2012. An exclusive section will cover Chinese movies at the 31st Istanbul Film Festival. While the Beijing Opera will present a splendid show at the 18th Istanbul Theatre Festival, the Song and Dance Ensemble from Shanghai will reflect the contemporary traits of Chinese culture. Furthermore, while the Ansai Waist Drummers Company will present traditional street activities, the Kite Workshop and Exhibition will draw attention as an education project for youngsters.

Besides the exclusive 40th Year Anniversary activities in 2012, İKSV will also organise the Istanbul Film, Theatre, Music and Jazz Festivals, the Leyla Gencer Voice Competition, Filmekimi, and the Istanbul Design Biennial that will be held for the first time this year. Salon, located in the İKSV building, will also continue to host the most anticipated names of contemporary music as well as theatre plays and literature events.

During 2012, the official sponsors of İKSV; Leading Sponsor Eczacıbaşı Holding, Official Airline Turkish Airlines, Official

ISTANBUL MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS 40TH YEAR PROGRAMME The Istanbul Music Festival, the first festival of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2012.

Milos, Gidon Kremer, Chamber Orchestra Vienna-Berlin and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and will feature two special performances of the Zurich Ballet as part of the farewell tour of Heinz Spoerli, one The 40th year special programme of the of the leading choreographers of Europe.

Istanbul Music Festival, which hosted Along with concerts, the festival will also more than 40,000 artists from Turkey and present talks, educational workshops and abroad with nearly 3,000 performances in speeches.

40 years, is announced at a press meeting. The Istanbul Music Festival will continue The Istanbul Music Festival celebrates to contribute to the contemporary music its 40th year together with the Istanbul repertory with its commissions to two Foundation for Culture and Arts. world-renown composers. One of the Sponsored by the Borusan Holding since most productive artists of our time, the 2006, the Festival’s 40th edition will be genius pianist Fazil Say who gets standing held between 31 May and 29 June. The 40th ovations at every concert, and one of Music Festival will host more than 750 most valuable composers of Georgia, Giya local and foreign artists in Istanbul and will Kancheli will have the world premieres present a month full of music. of their new works commissioned by the The 40th Istanbul Music Festival will host Istanbul Music Festival within the scope of stars of classical music in Istanbul including the festival.

Hélène Grimaud, Anne-Sophie Mutter,

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Communication Sponsor Vodafone and Official Carrier DHL Express will continue their support.

• The 31st Istanbul Film Festival will be realised with the sponsorship of Akbank, between 31 March - 15 April; • The 18th Istanbul Theatre Festival, with the sponsorship of Koç Holding Energy Group Companies Aygaz, Opet and Tüpraş, between 10 May - 15 June; • The 40th Istanbul Music Festival, with the sponsorship of Borusan Holding, between 31 May - 29 June; • The 19th Istanbul Jazz Festival, with the sponsorship of Garanti Bank, between 2 19 June; • The 7th Leyla Gencer Voice Competition, with the sponsorship of Doğuş Group and Garanti Bank and the cooperation partnership of Borusan Holding, between 15 - 20 September; • The 11th Filmekimi, between 6 - 14 October; • The first Istanbul Design Biennial, with the co-sponsorship of Eren Holding, Koray Group of Companies, Vestel and VitrA, between 13 October - 12 December.

THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL THEME: “HOPE AND HEROES” Numerous surprise projects await music enthusiasts in the programme of the Istanbul Music Festival built around the theme “Hope and Heroes”. The festival will begin with a concert on Thursday 31 May, where young artists from Turkey who have long conquered classical music stages all around the world Simge Büyükedes, Ezgi Kutlu, Cenk Bıyık, and Burak Bilgili will perform the 9th Symphony of Beethoven, a monumental piece conveying “freedom, equality, and brotherhood”, together with Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism State Polyphonic Choir and Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Sascha Goetzel. On a special evening on Friday 8 June, entitled “Women Heroes of Music,” one of Turkey’s February’2012

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On the evening of Wednesday 20 June, The Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Müller Schott will venture into faraway lands in search of “heroes” by performing “Don Quixote” composed

by Strauss based on Cervantes’ famous novel and “A Life of a Hero” in which Strauss depicts himself.

Another concert within the theme will be performed by composer and pianist Fazıl Say, accompanied by Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Gürer Aykal, in which Say will present Beethoven’s epic piano concerto, “The Emperor”.

The festival also features many special projects targeting the young musicians who give us hope for the future. The festival launched a project titled “The Istanbul Music Festival is in Search of its Young Soloist”, inviting young musicians to take part in auditions on 21 March. The selected soloist will perform with The Istanbul University State Conservatory Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Ramiz Malik Aslanov on Friday, 15 June. Also, the festival will host a concert titled “Young Masters and Their leading violists Cihat Aşkın and Istanbul Orchester Berlin. The concert will feature Heroes”, presenting the 14-years-old but Chamber Orchestra led by Hakan Şensoy, Ravel’s “Piano Concerto for Left Hand”, will perform works from leading female which he wrote for Paul Wittgenstein who already accomplished pianists Ece Bozkurt, Iraz Yıldız and Cem Esen, who will play composers from Turkey and the world. “never lost his hope” even though he had Another special concert, which will be lost his right arm during the 1st World War, together with the piano doyens of today, Gülsin Onay, Hüseyin Sermet and Muhiddin held within the scope of the theme on and Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony “Eroica” Dürrüoğlu, who themselves were “child Saturday 16 June, presents Hüseyin Sermet which depicts heroism for its tragedy as prodigies” once. accompanied by Deutsches Symphonie much as its victory.

COMMISSIONED WORKS FOR THE FESTIVAL’S 40th ANNIVERSARY Last year, the Istanbul Music Festival has begun commissioning works from composers from Turkey and abroad, taking an important step towards enriching the contemporary classical music repertory.

Continuing these efforts, the festival will present two world premieres this year.

One of the most distinguished composers of our time and a leading figure in the world of contemporary

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AND HONORARY AWARDS OF THE FESTIVAL The Honorary Award of the 40th Istanbul Music Festival will be presented to prominent pianist Hüseyin Sermet, who is renowned not only for his successful interpretations but also for his compositions.

Sermet, who has been performing with prominent orchestras and conductors all

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February’2012

music, Georgian composer Giya Kancheli composes a symphonic work for the festival, which will be performed for the very first time on Monday, 11 June at 20.00 at the Hagia Eirene Museum. This concert will be realised in memory of a young talent, the late cellist Benyamin Sönmez, who was to be the soloist of this world premiere until his passing away in December 2011. In the performance, the work of Kancheli will be performed by the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra led by conductor Andres Mustonen and Warsaw Philharmonic Choir. The soloists of the concert will be Georgian countertenor

around the world, and whose recorded albums have been presented with important awards such as Diapason d’Or and MIDEM Classical Award, will receive his award on Thursday, 31 May at the Opening Ceremony of the Festival at Haliç Congress Center. The Lifetime Achievement Award of the festival will be presented to composer Giya Kancheli, on Monday, 11 June at the Hagia Eirene Museum, before the world premiere of his work commissioned by the Istanbul Music Festival.

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Mamuka Gaganidze, cellist Giedre Dirvanauskaite, and the legendary violist Gidon Kremer, who received the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

The second work commissioned by the festival is composed by Fazıl Say, who is among the most prominent artist of today with his compositions, and his concerts all over the world. The pianist will perform the world premiere of his Symphony No.2, “Mesopotamia”, which he regards as “a masterpiece”, with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Gürer Aykal on Saturday, 23 June at 20.00 at the Haliç Congress Center.

Cover Story

THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OPENING CONCERT The 40th Istanbul Music Festival’s opening concert will follow the opening ceremony on Thursday, 31 May at the Haliç Congress Center. The concert will feature Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism State Polyphonic Choir and İKSV’s resident orchestra, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic led by conductor Sascha Goetzel.

The soloists of the concert will be soprano Simge Büyükedes who takes leading parts in several operas around the world, alto Ezgi Kutlu, tenor Cenk Bıyık, and bass Burak Bilgili. Tickets will be available for the opening night, for music enthusiasts who would like to participate in the reception, the ceremony and the concert.

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Meet at Music & Culture

Istanbul: Beyond the Old Buildings, It’s a Cultural Destination

by Alexandra Ivanoff

As I see it, and I’ve lived in Istanbul since February 2007 and have been contributing to the magazine and newspaper reportage on the music and art life here for much of it, I’d say this city is now on a par with major cultural capitals of the world. Most of the global press and travel guides report regularly about such tourist delights as treasured ancient buildings, Turkish traditional crafts and cuisine, and the breathtaking views of the hallowed waterways separating two continents.

But, what is generally not mentioned, is that Istanbul is ready for cultural tourism and is definitely ready to be recognized by the rest of the world as a destination for art. What other cities have three symphony orchestras? In fact, here there are more than three, if you include chamber orchestras. Just for classical music alone, there are twelve full-time seasonal venues that produce and present, in addition to the State Opera & Ballet, and State Symphony.

Further, each of the 39 districts in the city has it own cultural center that hosts a wide

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variety of fine arts activities.

One of the largest cultural organizations in Istanbul is IKSV, or Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Art. 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of their founding in 1972. It has been presenting a monthlong international classical music festival every June since 1973, and an international jazz festival every July since 1994.

Also under the IKSV umbrella are annual film and theatre festivals, and an international voice competition and visual arts biennial every two years.

Other major organizations that produce and present, in venues that they own, are Akbank Sanat, Borusan, and Iş Sanat.

The roots of high art are firmly planted In a country formerly known as Asia Minor, and whose musical traditions are folk instruments from the East and tonal systems unrelated to those in Europe, Western classical music has taken fierce roots that, in some ways, are now overshadowing America’s appreciation and support of the genre.

What can explain this?

First of all, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, when he founded the democratic republic in 1923 at the end of the 700 years of the Ottoman Empire, mandated that Western polyphonic music be included in the modernization process. He invited the esteemed German composer Paul Hindemith to come to Turkey to help set up

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the State Music Conservatory system, the State Opera & Ballet, and State Orchestra, following the European model. Atatürk invited Western musical artists to include Turkey in their global touring, and he himself set the example of attending and supporting the first State Opera company in Ankara, the new capital. He sent Turkish musicians to Europe to study and perform in order to bring back the new skills to teach in Turkey.

Secondly, in 1972, the newly formed IKSV consulted the prestigious conductors Herbert von Karajan and Bernhard Baumgartner to set the proper international tone to the ensuing festivals they were planning for Istanbul. The first music festival in 1973 offered recitals, orchestral concerts, ballet, theatre, folkloric music, musicals and opera, and featured world-renown artists like violinist Yehudi Menuhin, London Festival Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Belgrade Philharmonic, Budapest Philharmonic, and productions of Verdi’s “Aida” and Lerner & Loewe’s “My Fair Lady.”

Thirdly, and this is my own observation from writing many interviews with arts organizations and their corporate owners, virtually all of the purveyors of the arts in Istanbul are managed by families who have been collecting classical and contemporary art for generations. Though their fortunes are from holding companies, banks, and industry, they have become the owners of public and private museums and galleries, and their lives are fully committed to art as a mark of social responsibility.

Fourth, the Borusan organization made a significant choice in advancing the status

Meet at Music & Culture

of their Borusan Philharmonic in 2009, by selecting the Viennese conductor, Sascha Goetzel, to conduct the orchestra. His leadership has fine-tuned the ensemble to exacting international standards. They have now recorded two acclaimed CDs and in 2010 became the first Turkish orchestra to perform in the prestigious Salzburger Festspiele.

2012 offers a plethora of cultural delights IKSV’s 40th anniversary year will have an enormous schedule of events, for which visitors will want to plan ahead. Most of it is during the height of the tourist season and hotels are generally full. Although, at this writing, many new hotels are being built to meet the demand. In chronological order, IKSV will host its film festival (March 31-April 15), theatre festival (May 10 -June 15), classical music festival (May 31-June 29), jazz festival (July 2-19), Leyla Gencer International Voice Competition (September 15-20), film marathon (October 6-14), and the first Design Biennial (October 13-December 12). As one of several non-festival events to celebrate the 40th year, the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Simon Rattle, will perform on September 27. www.iksv.org Turkey and the the Netherlands are commemorating 400 years of diplomatic relations and cultural exchange with each other through four museum exhibits (Pera Museum, January 21-April 1; SALT,

January 27-December 31; Istanbul Modern, February 16-May 6; Sabancı Museum, July 20 onward: Art from the Rijksmuseum).

There will be special appearances by the Nederlands Dans Theatre (June 14, 15) and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (November 10). www.peramuzesi.org.tr The Istanbul State Opera and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism will present its third annual Istanbul International Opera Festival for three weeks in July. The productions are staged in many different venues in the city, both indoor and outdoor, including the historical sites of Yıldız Palace, Topkapı Palace, Rumeli Castle and the 6th-century Byzantine church of Hagia Irene. www.istanbuloperafestival.gov.tr The third Istanbul International Ballet Competition, offering a grand prize of €10,000, will be held June 25-30, which will also feature a masterclass with Mikhail Lavrovsky, ballet master from the Bolshoi Theatre. www.istanbulballetcompetition.gov.tr Akbank Sanat puts on an intense jazz festival every October, presenting over 60 concerts in three weeks all over town, and including all genres of the jazz world, fusions, and world music. The roster will boast legendary artists, current recording stars, new talent, and a strong educational component wherein bands travel all over the country to perform on university campuses. www.akbanksanat.com (online

MEETURKEY Alternative Tourism & Incentive Magazine

info available in September) The Borusan organization operates the abovementioned Borusan Philharmonic, and also under its aegis its own prize-winning string quartet (Borusan Quartet), three buildings devoted to visual and musical arts (Borusan Music House, Borusan Art Center, and the new Borusan Contemporary Museum), and a music library. www.borusansanat.com Iş Sanat offers a rich season of concerts from October through May of international classical, jazz, folk, and dance artists in Iş Sanat’s own auditorium in one of two twin towers in the bustling Levent area of Istanbul. A large art gallery on the ground floor with year-round exhibits welcomes visitors on the way to the concert hall. www.issanat.com These organizations are the largest; many smaller ones share the same ownership of presenting the fine arts, not only as an expression of the social responsibility I mentioned, but as the symbol of the cosmopolitan, global values that define modern Turks.

February’2012

29

ICVB News

Istanbul CVB Honored Convention Ambassadors of Istanbul associations. “ICVB joined forces with Culture and Tourism Ministry, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Turkish Airlines for the promotion and marketing of the city. All establishments share same vision and showed a great harmony at achieving goals.”

In order to enhance the collaboration, Yalçıntaş said, “ICVB introduced a program with a slogan of “Become a Convention Ambassador of Istanbul” in 2007.

Within the part of this program we make cooperation with national associations, unions and academics. Today we see the positive impact of that in Istanbul’s rising popularity in the meetings industry”.

“We aimed to move Istanbul into world’s Top 10 and Europe’s Top 5 convention destination list; today we are happy and proud to achieve this.” ICVB screened Istanbul’s Convention Ambassador Film to Held under the patronage of Turkish Culture and Tourism the large audience of industry representatives and media. Later, Minister Ertugrul Günay, Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau ICVB presented specially prepared plaques to the 109 convention (ICVB) organized the second edition of “Become a Convention Ambassador of Istanbul” program gathering and award ceremony ambassadors that brought 109 conventions to Istanbul in 2010 and made the city world’s 7th convention city. Mr. Yasin Torunat Haliç Congress Center.

Chairman of Turkish Society of Infrastructure and Trenchless 109 convention ambassadors that contributed Istanbul being Technologies-TSITT (AKATED) and Prof. Dr. Murad Bavbek the world’s 7th Convention City in 2010 received plaques for Chairman of Turkish Neurosurgical Society (TNDer); ambassadors appreciation on Thursday, December 22, 2011. of Istanbul announced Istanbul’s victory to host the 2015 NO DIG Undersecretary of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism Conference and 2017 WFNS – World Federation of Neurosurgical Özgür Özaslan, Istanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu, ICVB Societies Congress respectively. Ambassadors shared details Board Member and Turkish Airlines General Manager Temel Kotil of their cooperation with ICVB and their experiences during the attended the award ceremony that was hosted by TUGEV and bidding process.

ICVB President Dr. Murat Yalçıntaş.

Mr. Yalçıntaş made a welcome speech and said that developments The venue sponsor of the event; Haliç Congress Center – the only venue by the sea in Turkey screened an informative video of the in congress tourism in last 10 years and Istanbul’s growing congress center which is opened in 2009. After the speech of position in the industry are the fruits of Istanbul Convention & Haliç Congress Center Chairman of the Board of Directors; Naci Visitors Bureau’s successfully integrated work with sector and its strategic and effective marketing & promotion activities that Topsakal, audience enjoyed a lunch and had chance to attend an inspection tour at the congress center. were carried out with the support of the national societies and

ICVB Hosted Brazilian Meeting Organisers in Istanbul Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry Madrid Office and Turkish Airlines in cooperation with Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau organized a “Brazil Fam Trip” between 1-5 December 2011 in order to promote Istanbul to meetings and incentive organisers.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry Madrid Office, Turkish Airlines and Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted a 20 people group comprised of important executives and editors of Brazil’s national and international companies and tourism magazines. Brazilian delegation includes executives and editors

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February’2012

representing companies and magazines such as; Danone Ltda, Wish International Events Management, Samsung Electronics, Isban Brasil S/A, JP Morgan, BDF NIVEA, IAB, NEC Latin America, Santa Clara Comunicaçao, Banco do Brasil, Sandoz, Wish Report Magazine, GoWhere Luxo Magazine.

ICVB made a presentation on December 2nd at the venue sponsor of the fam trip; Grand Hyatt Hotel Istanbul. After the Istanbul presentation by ICVB, Turkish Airlines executives also made a presentation of Turkish Airlines and their meeting packages during the Networking Breakfast.

As part of the fam trip prepared by ICVB, Brazilian delegate visited and inspected Istanbul’s important hotels, congress centres and venues. Brazilian delegation received valuable information for their future meetings in Istanbul from ICVB members that attended the fam trip. Within the programme, delegates enjoyed watching oriental dance performance, mystic religious ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes, food presentation, and visited a Turkish Bath.

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ICOC and ICVB published International Congress Statistics Booklet Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC) and Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB) published an international congress statistics booklet for the first time.

The international congress statistics are prepared annually

by International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) that has its headquarters in the Netherlands. The ICCA statistics report, which is published in English, covers analysis of meetings industry and presents world congress country and city listing. After receiving acceptance from ICCA, ICOC and ICVB

translated “Non Members” version of the statistical study into Turkish language and published as a booklet for the first time. “We believe it will shed light on studies of tourism industry professionals, national organizations & associations, and students as well” said ICOC and ICVB Chairman Dr. Murat Yalçıntaş Moreover, the booklet includes additional statistical information about Istanbul and Turkey prepared by ICVB in 2010. The special report includes comparison of Istanbul with world’s leading congress cities.

A total of 9120 congresses are organized in the world in 2010.

Istanbul by hosting 109 congresses in 2010, ranked world’s 7th and Europe’s 6th top city in the industry. Turkey is listed 20th with a total of 160 congresses.

ICCA publishes World Congress Statistics annually on June. The 2011 report will be published on June 2012.

Istanbul at PCMA General Assembly

ICVB General Manager Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu represented Turkey at PCMA General Assembly in San Diego between 7-12 January 2012.

PCMA- Professional Convention Management gathered over 3700 industry professionals predominantly from meeting planners in the USA and Canada.

ICVB General Manager Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu is serving as a member of PCMA Global Task Force since 2010, re-appointed to the task force for the year 2012. The Global Task Force previously named International Task Force promotes the value that PCMA Members bring to the international marketplace and defines and identifies areas that will enhance their understanding of doing business overseas. The Global Task Force will work with PCMA

Headquarters staff to support and assist in the development of new and existing international programs and offerings.

Speaking to PCMA Daily, Mrs. Fisunoglu said, “PCMA is the most important event for me to attend in order to maintain business relationships, make new contacts within the American meetings industry, learn more about the American meetings market, and create business opportunities for my destination”.

With ramped-up virtual components and a dramatically different approach to sessions, the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) attracted what could be record attendance to its annual conference in San Diego last week. “We have a record number of planners and are hoping for a record overall total,” said outgoing PCMA chairman Susan Katz at a press conference. “I believe we will meet or exceed last year’s total, which was 3,743.”

Also significant is that more than 120 delegates reported they were driven to attend as a result of their virtual participation in last year’s conference.

This shows that “virtual and hybrid events will drive face-to-face attendance,” Katz said.

New approach to sessions What made this years’ conference different? Among the innovations: • An opening general session that aimed to emulate the highprofile TED conferences with brief presentations by three highpowered speakers – one of whom appeared virtually, another first • No discussion of association business during general sessions • Diversity of session times – some as brief as 30 minutes • Periods of non-consecutive sessions • For the second time, the conference was co-located with the Virtual Edge Summit on hybrid and virtual meetings

Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau attends EIBTM Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB) attended the 23rd edition EIBTM – Barcelona, which is one of the most important exhibitions of convention and incentive industry in Europe.

EIBTM, which is taking place in Barcelona at Fira Gran Via attracted over 3100 exhibitors from more than 90 countries.

Turkey participated EIBTM with 500 sqm stand organized by The Culture & Tourism Office in Madrid in coordination with Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB). A total of 43 companies were taking part within the Turkey stand. Distinguished meeting and incentive facilities of Turkey’s prominent meeting destinations Istanbul, Antalya and Izmir also promoted and marketed to stand visitors and buyers during the event and many business opportunities generated from B2B appointments.

ICVB General Manager Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu, ICVB Sales & Marketing Coordinator Ayça Şentop and ICVB Sales Executive Nihan Esen hosted buyers and association representatives at Turkey stand.

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February’2012

31

The History of The Chestnut

Meet & Eat

As to historical sources, Anatolia is said to be the motherland of the chestnut. It is known that the chestnut was spread by the Greeks within Greece, and from there to Italy and other Mediterranean countries. According to some, the sources say that the name “chestnut” comes from the city of Kastamonu, but according to others, it derives from the ancient city of Castan which is situated in the Thessaly region on the Greek Peninsula, from where it was brought to Europe.

We learn from the writings of the Greek historian Xenophon that the chestnut was also known in Persia since far away times. This Greek historian describes how healthy and robust the children of the Persian noblemen who ate chestnuts were. We see that – in the 13th century – the chestnut came into vogue in France and that it was used in the royal palace. The first hints of a wide-spread chestnut consumption in England are given in Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” where three witches are talking about the fact that the chestnut was a meal for the general.

The chestnut is one of the first food sources of mankind. Japan, Italy and France – these three countries record the today’s highest chestnut consumption. They became acquainted with this fruit as the basic foodstuff of the poor.

As the chestnut was considered holy in ancient times, chestnuts were offered during big banquets held at the palaces. This “sacred fruit” which was believed to prolong life, was used at the same time as a philter of love, too.

The Chestnut tree

by Filiz Bedir Ormanoglu - Kafkas A.Ş

Chestnut trees which form part of the Beech family and which may become up to 500 years old, are among the most magnificent trees with their giant structure of up to 30 meters of height.

The chestnut tree prefers rocky hillsides and sandy soils. It won’t grow on calcareous soils. It starts to yield fruit five years after having been vaccinated, and achieves its highest yield after 50 to 60 years. As the chestnut tree contains tannin, it is one of those trees on which spiders are unable to spin their webs. It is said that the biggest of all living chestnut trees is found in Italy, at the city limits the city of Acireale located near Mount Etna, and that it is about four thousand years old. In terms of preventing erosion and loss of water, the chestnut tree is of critical importance. As its timber absorbs varnishes very well, it is used in the furniture industry, and due to the fact that its wood is hard and resistant, it is used in the construction of houses, too.

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November’2011

Due to the fact that it is resistant to decay, it is used in construction works, in the laying of railway tracks, in shipbuilding and as power poles. Both the pharmaceutical and the cosmetics industry benefit from its flowers and leaves. From its young shoots, however, baskets and panniers are made.

We can find 16 different species of chestnut trees in different geographical regions of this world the most wellknown of which are the American Chestnut, the Chinese Chestnut, the Japanese Chestnut and the Anatolian (European or Sweet) Chestnut, respectively. Turkey holds the fourth position in the worldwide chestnut production – after China, South Korea and Italy. The Anatolian (European or Sweet) Chestnut, or Castanea Sativa, which is the only species growing in Turkey, is spread over a wide area ranging from the Northern Anatolian shores to the hinterland of the Marmara Region, and to the Aegean region.

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Meet & Eat

The Chestnut Harvest

Chestnuts, the messenger of autumn, are harvested in October and November. Their yellowish-green spiny outer shell, or cupula, envelops the chestnut like an armor. In its spiny shell, every chestnut fruit contains two to three nuts each.

For this reason, the chestnuts’ both gathering and peeling is a quite troublesome work. When harvest

time has come, their spiny cupula turns yellow, and begins to split open and to fall on the ground. While falling on the ground, the chestnut fruits are released from their spiny shells. Those chestnuts, however, which do not fall on the ground by natural way, are thrown down by hitting the trees’ branches using long rods.

As the chestnut is one of the first food sources of mankind, popular wisdom calls the chestnut tree the “bread tree”. Glacial men who lived in the Alps shall have lived during four to five months of the year eating nothing else but chestnuts. The Romans, who are known for their predilections for different tastes, used this fruit they called “Castanea Vesca” for the preparation of the most particular specialties. According to a rumor, the chestnut is one of the first fruits men ate by dipping it into honey, and thus making a sweet of it.

As their brown shells are thick, the chestnut preserves all of its vitamins

while being cooked. Besides being mostly consumed fresh, boiled or prepared as a kebab, candied chestnuts are very popular, too.

Being frequently utilized in the confectionery sector, chestnuts are at the same time an indispensable flavor in the cuisines of many countries. They are used as flavor enhancer in the preparation of both meat and vegetable dishes, in pilafs and various salads. Even if it is considered that chestnuts suit most with turkey and lamb, they also harmonize with vegetables such as celery, potatoes and carrots.

Chestnut & Cuisine

Chestnut &Health

boiled brown shells is known to have both an antipyretic and a sedative effect.

Edible fresh chestnuts contain digestible dietary fibers of a good quality, i.e. mainly starch and various sugars, protein, oil in a low percentage and various minerals as well as the vitamins B1, B2 and C. There is as much vitamin C as in 100 g of lemon.

100 g of edible chestnut provides an average of 160 kcal of energy.

Chestnut is suggested mostly to people who are suffering from a potassium deficiency, because Compared to the structure of other hardshelled fruits, the chestnut’s structure is there is exactly 500 mg of potassium contained in 100 g of chestnut. 100 g of very different. Essentially, the chestnut edible fresh chestnuts contain 3.5 to 5 which is composed of carbohydrate, g of protein. This quantity equals the water and a very low quantity of oil shows more the characteristic of a cereal. protein content of milk. As it does not Chestnuts are both filling being a starch, contain wheat gluten (wheat protein), saccharose, protein and tannin depot, and the chestnut is a fruit which confidently are a very salutary foodstuff for children may be consumed also by celiac patients. in their developmental age. Some sources The fibers being contained in the chestnut fruit (i.e. ca. 8 to 10 g per 100 specify that the chestnut relieves both g of edible fresh chestnuts) play an physical and mental fatigue, that it important role in the development of the regularizes blood circulation, decreases intestinal microflora. These fibers both liver fatigue, stops anemia and that speed up the intestinal movements and it prevents the occurrence of varicose prevent from constipation. In this way, veins. Furthermore, the chestnut tree’s all harmful substances are discharged leaves are used as a disinfectant in the without staying too long in the intestine, sore throat treatment. The tea made of

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and help the blood cholesterol level to be decreased. Due to these characteristics, the American Associations of Cardiac Diseases and of Cancer, respectively, are proposing that it is necessary to consider the chestnut also in nutritional diets, in order to decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases and of cancer.

With the vitamins, minerals and all other nutritional values contained, the chestnut is an invaluable health potion against both the negative conditions of the winter season, and any physical and cerebral fatigues.

Photos by Kafkas A.Ş.

February’2012

33

Meet at the Biennial Design Biennial

Emre Arolat & Joseph Grima

Appointed Curators of the 1st Istanbul Design Biennial

E

mre Arolat and Joseph Grima have been appointed as the curators of the first Istanbul Design Biennial, which will be realized between 13 October - 12 December 2012 by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts.

The curators, invited by the Istanbul Design Biennial, will independently interpret the theme “Imperfection”, which was adopted at the suggestion of Deyan Sudjic, Director of The Design Museum in London, who is also a member of the biennial’s advisory board. Emre Arolat and Joseph Grima will present two different approaches within the framework of the biennial theme. The framework of their curatorial studies will be announced at the beginning of 2012.

Emre Arolat studied architecture at Mimar Sinan University, and co-founded Emre Arolat Architects (EAA) with Gonca Paşolar in 2004. Arolat, who has held the presidential membership in ISMD, is a member of TMMOB Chamber of Architects.

He has had teaching experiences at architectural design studios and as a project jury at several universities in

Turkey. His projects with EAA have won many national and international awards, including “2006 AR Awards for Emerging Architecture, Highly Commended”, “2009 Europe & African Property Awards “ Emirates Glass Leaf Awards 2009”, “Cityscape Dubai Awards”, “2010 Aga Khan Award for Architecture”, “2011 MIPIM AR Future Projects Awards” and “2011 Green Good Design Awards”. Arolat’s essays and articles have been published in various occupational publications. He has contributed to EAA’s books, Dalaman Airport, Emre Arolat: Buildings / Projects 1998-2005, and “ …with regard to”.

Joseph Grima is a Milan-based architect, editor, writer and curator. He is the editor of Domus, the internationally renowned magazine of contemporary architecture, design and art founded by Gio Ponti in Milan. He is the former director of Storefront for Art and Architecture, a non-profit gallery and events space in New York City devoted to the advancement of innovative positions in art and architecture.

His work has been presented at the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Experimenta, the New Museum (NYC) among others. He has edited and contributed to a wide range of books, magazines and periodicals including Abitare, Volume, Bracket, Urban China and New Geographies, and has taught and lectured in Europe and America, most recently at the Streka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design in Moscow. He currently sits on the advisory board of the Vitra Design Museum and the Shorefast Foundation.

About The Istanbul Design Biennial Istanbul Design Biennial, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts between 13 October – 12 December 2012, explores a wide range of fields, from urban design (environmental, urban and regional planning) to architecture, interior, industrial, graphic, fashion, textile and new media design and all creative fields related to these professions. Exhibitions, thematic installations, workshops, seminars and presentations organised within the scope of the biennial will be linked by the unifying theme of the first biennial: Imperfection.

An announcement concerning the open call for entries will be made in December 2011.

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February’2012

In the first half of 2012, pre-events such as workshops and seminars for university students and professionals in the creative industries will be organised during the preparation process of the biennial.

Eren Holding, Koray Group of Companies and VitrA undertakes the co-sponsorship of the Istanbul Design Biennial.

The Istanbul Design Biennial Advisory Board Members are Associate Professor Mr. Mehmet Asatekin, Industrial designer, Faculty Member at Bahçeşehir University; Mr. George Beylerian, Founder and the CEO of Material Connetion; Mr. Levent Çalıkoğlu, Art Historian, Chief curator

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at Istanbul Modern; Prof. John Heskett, Dean of Design Faculty at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Ms. Defne Koz, Industrial Designer, Founder of Defne Koz Studio; Mr. Faruk Malhan, Architect, founder of Koleksiyon Mobilya; Ms. Sevil Peach, Founder of Sevil Peach Architecture & Design; Mr. Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum in London; Prof. Ilhan Tekeli, Honorary Member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences; Mr. Alexander von Vegesack, Chairman of the Board of Vitra Design Foundation.

pre-register now imex-frankfurt.com

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WITH EVERYONE IN THE MEETINGS WORLD

To talk business with thousands of like-minded meetings and events professionals, IMEX in Frankfurt is the world’s largest exhibition for meetings, incentive travel and events and it is here where you’ll find all the important contacts you need.

With the bespoke IMEX Online Diary system to make appointments in advance, you’ll be able to plan your schedule super-efficiently and meet the people you really want to do business with.

You can maximise your time and prepare thoroughly for highly productive meetings. At IMEX ’11, 57,000 appointments were made before the event – leading to at least $508 million worth of business happening right there on the show floor. With IMEX 2012 marking 10 years of bringing people together face-to-face, it’s one of the best opportunities to get serious business done.

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News Line World

Turkey Once Again attends IT&CM China

Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry announced the country’s participation to IT&CM China; the leading professional Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) business and networking event in China.

Turkey which attended as the first time at IT&CM China in 2009, will attend the 2012 event of the exhibition after an interval of two years.

IT&CM China 2012 will take place from 17 to 19 April 2012 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center.

Into its 6th year, IT&CM China brings together Chinese and International MICE exhibitors and buyers in one dynamic marketplace, allowing international and leading Chinese players in the MICE industry to explore new and exciting business opportunities and strengthen existing partnerships.

IT&CM China continues to excel on its unique formula of delivering a good mix of International and Chinese exhibitors

and some 400 buyers with a 50%-50% mix of International and Chinese buyers. IT&CM China anchored the first-ever Shanghai Business Events Week (SBEW) launched by Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration (SMTA) in 2011. It will continue to be part of the SBEW 2012 that themes leading MICE industry business, education and networking highlights under one brand in cosmopolitan Shanghai.

Young Professionals to Benefit from AIME and ICCA Partnership Ambitious young professionals and newcomers to the global meetings industry are being offered valuable career development at the annual International Congress and Conventions Association’s (ICCA) Forum for Young Professionals, which takes place over two days prior to the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) in Melbourne.

The Forum, which will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) on 19 and 20 February 2012, is open to ICCA members who are under 30 and new to the industry. A range of senior industry members are also invited to speak about their experiences, the meetings industry today and to provide some sound advice.

The 2012 program, Growth Through Innovation, includes interviews, case studies, exercises and personal accounts, as well as casual networking opportunities.

Along with the valuable education and networking, attendees to the Forum will also receive complimentary entry to AIME, an invitation to the AIME Welcome Reception and access to the AIME Business Events Forum on Tuesday morning, allowing them to make the most of their time in Melbourne.

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February’2012

The Forum, which has been held in association with AIME every year since 2000, reflects and responds to the challenges seen within today’s meetings industry – encouraging attendees to keep on the ball and think creatively.

Joining the first class faculty of senior industry speakers in 2012 will be special guest Arnaldo Nardone, President of ICCA. Forum Manager, Elizabeth Rich, said the event, which is in its 12th year, is a rare opportunity for industry newcomers to learn from more experienced professionals in the lead up to the biggest event on the industry calendar – AIME. “This unique ICCA Forum is aimed at young professionals or newcomers who are keen to develop their own careers in the meetings industry,” said Ms Rich.

“Limited to around 30 participants, the intensive two-day program allows newcomers to hear from some of the best practitioners in the business on the latest global trends, work with each other to solve specific challenges and develop a valuable new network of contacts around Australia and Asia.”

The annual Forum is offered at no charge to employees of ICCA members. Applications are open to non-ICCA members for a $330 fee, space permitting. Applications have already been received from Taiwan, Malaysia, South Africa and Australia.

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www.itcmchina.com IT&CM China 2012

17 - 19 April 2012 | 2012年4月17-19日

Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center 上海世博展览馆(世博主题馆)

Advancing MICE

and

Business Minds

推动商业意识与中国MICE产业共赢 Bringing Together Chinese and International MICE Exhibitors & Buyers In One Dynamic Marketplace

Quality Leads

汇聚全球以及中国MICE供应商和买家共同打造一个瞬息万变的市场

86% of 2011 exhibitors expect to receive orders over the next 6-12 months

质量领先

“The networking sessions were very constructive.

I made several potential business contacts.”

86%2011年大会展商预计在接下来的6到12个月内收到来自大会买 家的订单

Chong Yong Fee I Singapore Alive Pte. Ltd., Singapore

New Participants

参加了三届中国（上海）国际奖励旅游大会，感 觉都非常不错，很实用。了解到了很多需要的信 息，并与很多卖家展开了合作。谢谢为我们构建 了一个平台！

50% of the buyers were new to the show

新的参会者 50%的买家首次参展

The Right Choice

Exhibitors choose IT&CM China to • Generate New Sales Leads • Promote company, products and services • Network • Stay Competitive And IT&CM China delivers!

正确的选择

展商选择参加中国（上海）国际奖励旅游及大会博览会的 目的： • 增加销售 • 推广公司、产品和服务 • 拓展社交网络 • 保持竞争力 一切期待尽在中国（上海）国际奖励旅游及大会博览 会中得以实现！

肖羽 | 商务会议部经理 | 四川省中国国际旅行社

“I met my objectives. Very well-focused show!

The appointments were almost all good matches.”

Kevin Mead I IGAF Worldwide, United States of America

Registe!r Online

非常感谢这次展会为我们提供了一个开拓业务并与 买家沟通的良好契机，期待在未来的一段时间内大 会给我们带来的显著效果与收益。 聂家晶 | 皇家加勒比游轮公司 |会奖旅游销售经理

网上注册！

Exhibitors | Buyers | Media 展商 | 买家 | 媒体 Hosting Programme For Buyers and Media Available. 为买家和媒体特设的招待计划现在开始申请。

FOR INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITORS, BUYERS AND MEDIA 国际展商、买家和媒体，请您联系 TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd TTG亚洲传媒有限公司 Tel 电话: (65) 6395 7575 Fax 传真: (65) 6536 0896 Email 电子邮箱: itcmchina@ttgasia.com ORGANISED BY

SHANGHAI

BUSINESS EVENTS WEEK

FOR CHINA-BASED EXHIBITORS, BUYERS AND MEDIA 中国展商、买家和媒体，请您联系 CITS International MICE 国旅（北京） 国际会议展览有限公司 Tel 电话: (86) 021 3304 9999 Fax 传真: (86) 021 6350 9030 Email 电子邮箱: itcmachina@cits.com.cn

FOR CHINA-BASED OPERATIONS 展会现场运营，请您联系 MP International (Shanghai) Pte Ltd 中新会展（上海）有限公司 Tel 电话: (86) 021 6295 9990 Fax 传真: (86) 021 6270 6030 Email 电子邮箱: info-shg@mpshanghai.com

SUPPORTED BY

IT&CM China 2012 is proud to be part of the Shanghai Business Events Week.

Where The MICE Industry Comes Together In Shanghai. In An Exciting Week Of Business, Education and Networking Events.

News Line World

IMEX Improved Environmental Management and Protection A campaign to reduce overall waste output from the IMEX in Frankfurt trade show, whether recyclable or not, has seen waste levels reduce significantly over the past three years.

The total amount of waste generated went down from 167 tonnes in 2009 to 121 tonnes in 2011, a reduction of 28%.

As part of its commitment to improved environmental management and protection, IMEX organisers have worked closely with the management team at Messe Frankfurt to implement a series of waste reduction measures over the years. Year on year IMEX has also set itself waste reduction targets in order to keep track of savings and provide an incentive for exhibitors, suppliers and visitors to help its waste-reduction efforts.

Paper comprises a large percentage of the material that is recycled at each show. This year it accounted for 33 tonnes of all recycled material, a reduction of 7 tonnes on 2009. All paper is recycled into newspapers and used locally to produce the daily Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung (FAZ). Waste cardboard is used to produce cardboard boxes, with a large proportion being used by a local manufacturer to make shoeboxes.

Other residual waste, which includes those plastics that cannot be recycled, is incinerated to create energy that powers the local community within a 10km radius. Nevertheless, this residual waste output has been reduced from 23 tonnes in 2009 to just 14 tonnes in 2011. In addition, catering suppliers at IMEX in Frankfurt do not use plastic cutlery or disposable plates, instead crockery and metal cutlery is washed and

reused.

IMEX organisers also pay careful attention to minimising food waste. Unopened, leftover food is distributed to local homeless networks and hospitals, while any opened and packaged food is composted locally.

The amount of wood waste has also decreased significantly from almost five tonnes to less than one tonne. This is mainly the result of IMEX encouraging the reuse of delivery pallets rather than the disposal of them. Not only does this approach reduce total waste, it is also better for the environment and it reduces costs for exhibitors’ stand constructors.

Ray Bloom, IMEX Group Chairman commented: “The IMEX Group’s pledge is to be as sustainable as possible and this doesn’t just apply to our trade show days but to our office infrastructure and consumption habits all year round. Not only have we successfully reduced the amount of waste we generate by 46 tonnes since 2009 but, of that waste, a higher quantity than ever is now being recycled. IMEX is committed to educating the meeting, incentive travel and events industry about sustainability issues so it is important that we also live these principles ourselves. Our intention both in Frankfurt, and also now in Las Vegas, is to develop productive, longterm relationships with suppliers, exhibitors and visitors that support our sustainability efforts, which we consider a keystone in our strategy as a progressive organisation.”

IMEX in Frankfurt celebrates its 10th anniversary next year and will be including a number of initiatives that look-back at the environmental progress that’s been made over the past decade.

European Pavilion at GIBTM 26th – 28th March 2012 Building on the success of GIBTM 2011, this year’s Global Meetings and Events Exhibition for the Gulf will host a European Exhibitor Pavilion designed to accommodate European businesses expanding their business reach into the Gulf region. Exhibiting as a partner within the European Pavilion will allow destinations and European Private Sector companies opportunity to use GIBTM as a key platform to cost effectively launch their products into the Gulf region.

Dora Kiss, Senior Project Manager, Hungarian Convention Bureau, exhibiting in the European Pavilion at GIBTM this year, commented: “Countries of the Middle East are new markets for the Hungarian Convention Bureau. We would like to present our wonderful country on that continent, as well, because we truly believe that Hungary’s supply is really competitive for the Orient”. The pavilion will create strong return on investment for exhibiting partners as over 1,500 appointments are anticipated to take place between European exhibitors and Hosted Buyers attending from the Gulf region.

Vassilis Theocharides, returning exhibiton and Director of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation of Middle East & Arabian Gulf commented, “The Cyprus Tourism Organisation has been supporting GIBTM since it was launched. It is undoubtedly the most comprehensive MICE exhibition in the Middle East.

Every year we have increased demand from our partners to participate which proves its popularity”. This year’s GIBTM will also see the launch of the GIBTM Global Industry research project which will be followed by a panel discussion exploring both the in and outbound analysis of the meetings industry, future trends and buyer and supplier habits within the region.

GIBTM is receiving strong interest and bookings from new and returning international participants who are looking to access the lucrative Middle East meetings, events and business travel market, all recognising GIBTM and the largest and proven platform in the region to do so. Exhibitors including India Tourism, Seoul Convention Bureau, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau, Czech Tourism, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Cyprus Tourism Organisation and the Embassy of The Republic of Indonesia have also confirmed their participation.

26 Exhibitors Book into Confex in Just One Week International Confex goes from strength to strength as it secures an impressive 26 new* exhibitors in just one week.

James Samuel, Event Manager for International Confex, said, “The reaction from all sectors of the industry to the news of the International Confex Loyalty Programme and Confex Knowledge seminar sessions has proved to be incredible.

38

February’2012

With 26 bookings made this week alone, coupled with the strong pre-registration attendance figures, it is clear that the Christmas break has not affected momentum.

“The industry’s leading suppliers recognise International Confex as a fantastic platform to meet with the leading association, corporate and agency planners.”

A variety of UK and international suppliers, venues and destinations have come on board this week including the likes of Radisson Edwardian, De Vere, Ibiza Convention Bureau, Jordan, Flanders and Brussels, and the University of Sussex.

MEETURKEY Alternative Tourism & Incentive Magazine

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Cultural Tourism,

in an open air museum - Turkey

A

by Kate Clow

lthough Turkey is still associated with beach holidays, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism held a summit in Ankara at the end of last month titled “Turkey, an Open-Air Museum” to signal a change in direction. The purpose of the meeting was firstly to inform local tourism officials; to broaden the horizons of governors and mayors; and to make links with the NGO’s working in this area.

Specialists -- both Turkish and foreign -from the cultural tourism sector gathered to share ways to support this development of the sector in the country. A well as the conference, many provinces had stands which exhibited aspects of their cultural tourism and there was a Cultural Routes stand and others for representative bodies in the tourism industry, such as the Federation of Turkish Tourist Guide Associations [TUREB].

The move to cultural tourism is being driven by UNESCO, which is working through Bilkent University members, and the NGO ÇEKÜL. ÇEKUL is the inspiration behind the Union of Historical Towns, aimed at encouraging solidarity and

collaboration among municipalities for the protection of the natural, cultural and historical heritage of cities. Metin Sözen, its head, is a major force behind technically excellent works of cultural preservation, which have achieved beautiful results. ÇEKÜL has worked on the restoration of many beautiful buildings in historic city centers.

At the summit, Sözen insisted that if tangible and intangible historical and cultural values are to be preserved, cities should each establish their own cultural identity.

He can see a trend for cities to rush to develop their inner cities into a “brand” rather than actually preserving old buildings. Parts of the center of Ankara are an example of

this: many of the “old” houses are being built from scratch rather than old ones preserved.

Other developments are that an arm of Bilkent has taken over the Museum book stores, putting a new range of products on show and pushing up sales. TÜRSAB has recently taken over the management of

Prof. Metin Sozen - Cekul 40

February’2012

MEETURKEY Alternative Tourism & Incentive Magazine

some museums from the Ministry; this may lead to “dumbing down” of the displays rather than interpreting the exhibits in context.

The Ministry’s move is timely: it comes immediately after Istanbul’s year as Capital of Culture, which showed that cultural tourism is all the rage in Europe.

It started in the 1980s with the development of the Institute of Cultural Routes, followed by the planned conservation of city centers.

The Council of Europe has long been pushing the culture routes agenda, but two years ago, the EU also joined this movement.

Turkey has signed the Delphi Protocol -- an agreement of 14 southern European countries to fast-track cultural routes -- and will join with neighboring countries like Greece and Georgia in implementing it.

UNESCO Turkey is headquartered at Bilkent, where its head, Öcal Oğuz, is a professor. Of course UNESCO is a leading force in Cultural Tourism, having designated 14 sites in Turkey as World Heritage Sites. But the trend is now to see each building in its context, so the new slogan is ‘preservation of the place’ or the local environment, thus keeping sight of the essential spirit of what is being preserved.

An example of successful integration is Gaziantep. The preservation of culture hasn’t overwhelmed the city; on the contrary, most is modern, with a lovely greenbelt running through the center. The shell of the light-beige stone castle hangs over the streets where copper was once beaten and a network of old paved lanes runs between traditional stone houses which are built around courtyards. The most exciting feature is the new mosaic museum -- the largest in the world -- based on the mosaics removed from Zeugma before it was flooded. It is set to attract tens of thousands of tourists yearly.

As for smaller towns, Kemaliye in Erzincan is a very good example.

The local economy has greatly benefited from being part of ÇEKÜL’s “7 Regions 7 Cities” program, in which the public, local,

civil and private sectors have all participated in the renovation and preservation of buildings of historic interest. Even though historically it was an important trade center on the Euphrates River crossing, there’s very little local industry there today and its geographical position makes agriculture very difficult. Kemaliye’s mayor, Mustafa Haznedar, decided to boost the town’s economy by reviving trade and promoting cultural tourism. The town itself is renowned for its historical architecture and 205 buildings have been restored, many dating back to the Ottoman era; the old customs buildings are currently being repaired. There are several museums housing works from private collections. Folk music and ironmongery traditions are being revived.

Cultural routes are the most difficult parts of cultural tourism, as each route is spread out over a wide area, so involves many local authorities. Many run through national parks, but currently there is no coordination between the national parks authorities and the tourism authorities. These routes are cheap to make but need to be supported for several years until the people along the route take ownership of them. And, of course, they have to have a brand with international appeal in order to attract visitors.But the new links with Europe can be put to advantage. Examples of routes that Turkey could immediately participate in include the Olive Route, the Iter Vitis [Route of the Vine], the Phoenician Route and the Spa Route. The last is specially favored by Bursa and other thermal towns, which all have the right qualifications.

It’s clear tha the 2023 tourism master plan needs revision.

Hopefully, tourism can be regionalised and the magic word sustainability can take its place in the plan. If cultural tourism is to take its place in Turkey’s tourism assets, it’s essential that it’s kept separate from beach tourism. İskender Çayla, chairman of Turquia, a tourism agency dealing with Spanish customers, gave a quick analysis of the problems of regional marketing and the way Spain has successfully tackled this. Turkey needs to focus on quality tourists who leaving more money in the country; currently about two-thirds is returned. Per capita income from tourism is also declining. For example, the 25 million tourists who visited Turkey in 2010 spent $800 per head; a few years ago, before the dollar dropped in value, the average was $1,000 per head.

This meeting announces the intention of a change of direction, but a huge effort is required to actually implement it. I congratulate the senior management at the ministry who have worked so hard and hope to see rethe results of their effforts.

MEETURKEY Alternative Tourism & Incentive Magazine

February’2012

41

Food & Fashion suppose that there are many ways in which one might approach writing about Food & Fashion in one place. There are current trends where both arts overlap, usually associated with the latest fashionable restaurants & experimental chefs.

These can be quite a bit of fun, but…..

When asked to consider Food & Fashion in one place, the first thing that comes to mind is Gonul Paksoy: The brilliant alchemist of wearable and edible art who labors in her boutique/home/ laboratory in the chic Nisantasi neighborhood of Istanbul for the enjoyment of all with whom she most graciously shares her creations. I was first drawn to the window of her minimalist shop over 10 years ago. There I spied the most elePhotos: by Gonul Paksoy & gant ensemble (Was it a caftan? Or a dress?) It Reyhan Eksi was crafted of rich, deep colors with touches of antique brocades, shimmering silks, layers of opacity & transparency, also beads and talismans, and was utterly magnetic. It was at once modern yet evocative of its Ottoman past and deeper Anatolian roots. I had to get to know the person who created such an exquisite sculpture. I was welcomed by the smiling, quiet woman who sat in the shop window studying some antique might have discarded. Gonul Hanim spite of my poor Turkish about her creative make such rally, this years tea

buttons & scraps of fabrics that others turned out to be not so quiet, and in patiently described her philosophy process and how she came to beautiful things. Natuhappened over the and many cups of (spiced with a

few cloves and presented with the utmost care). Gonul Hanim would bridle at being called a fashion designer, yet she does create fashions and teaches in the fashion design curriculum at Mimar Sinan University. She considers fashion ephemeral while she strives to create things of lasting beauty: What she calls “Timeless Simplicity”. Above all she is an artist who in her own words, “never touches anything unless I can make it better than the original”. This applies to her surroundings, the one of a kind ensembles she makes for her clients (ranging from clothing, to bags, jewelry, shoes and hats), to the beautiful tables laden with painterly and edible creations she shares generously with friends, family and colleagues. Roots are important in all of life as they bring the nutrients we need to grow as well as a structural foundation. For Gonul Hanim she bears the legacy of a culture over 10,000 years old. She has collected widely from many eras and acts as a conservator, protecting and cherishing these things for future generations. She grew up in Adana in the southern part of Turkey surrounded by the colors of nature that left an indelible imprint on her visual memory. She was also nurtured by a loving family that left her free and encouraged her to explore all facets of her artistic expression. She collected and crafted things for her own amusement and as

42

February’2012

MEETURKEY Alternative Tourism & Incentive Magazine

gifts, never influenced by what others thought of her creations as long as she saw their intrinsic beauty.

Roots hold another important place in Gonul Hanim’s creative processes. She thought she chose unwisely when she studied chemistry at university, but her

doctoral thesis on the use of plants as natural dyes helped her synthesize the science with her art. She might be at her stove experimenting: Using some vegetables to dye a piece of hand-woven wool or silk. Or she might be combining those same vegetables or fruits with

MEETURKEY Alternative Tourism & Incentive Magazine

flowers from her garden to serve at a beautifully set table. She has a bit of mischief in her and has not lost the child like qualities that allow her to explore and use what some might consider odd assemblages in her clothing, her meals or the rag dolls she created not only for her own nieces and nephews but the children in us all. Others might copy her designs, but they can never capture the spirit that created them. So whether you thumb through one of her beautiful books – each a delight for all the senses – or try your hand at recreating some of the recipes in her food books, wear any of her apparel, use a pillow or fabric in an interior, or cuddle a rag doll, may you savor the genuine Gonul Paksoy. Afiyet Olsun!

PS: The photos can suggest only the smallest sampling of her prodigious creative output. When you are in Istanbul stop by her shop at No.6 Atiye Sokak Nisantasi/Istanbul and enjoy a journey of the senses.

by Ingrid Caruso

February’2012

43

MICE Destinations

ANKARA

A

nkara the capital of Turkey is located in the centre of Anatolia province. With a known history of around 3000, Ankara has seen great heights in the past. Around 3000 years ago, the Hittites established a city by the name of Akuwash (old name for Ankara) at the intersection of two trade routes in Turkey. During its earlier phase, Ankara was ruled by Phrygians, Macedonians (under Alexander the Great),

and Romans. Seljuk Turks captured the city in 1071 AD and renamed it as Enguriye. Most important moment in the history of Ankara came when Atatürk founded his provisional government here in 1920, and in 1923 when it became the capital of Turkish Republic.

The city has seen a number of changes since then, however it has been successful enough in maintaining a fine balance between the old and the new and thereby living up to its unique identity

as the “Melting Pot of East and West”.

Today, Ankara is a sprawling urban mass thoroughly organized and well - planned and much European in look than most of the cities in Turkey. Its wide-open roads, large hotels, restaurants and government offices distinguish the city. Besides, there are several tourist attractions and meetings in the city making it an ideal destination for the tourists and mice industry.

Convention & Exhibition Centers of Ankara Name

Number of Halls

Total sqm

Largest Hall Capacity (Theatre)

City At a Glance Population: 3,627,098 Traffic Code: 06 Telephone Code: 0312

Ankara Hilton Hotel

8

-

600

How to go Ankara’s international Esenboga Airport is well connected to other cities in Europe as well as to important destinations in other parts of the world.

What to do The foundations of this citadel were laid by Galatians to be completed by the Romans. Byzantines and Seljuk made major changes later on. The citadel is located atop a hill in the old city where one can see some fine examples of traditional architecture of Ankara.

What to see • The Ankara Citadel • Had Bayram Mosque • The Museum of Anatonian Civilisation • The Hatti Monument • Anıtkabir • Victory Monument • The Temple of Augusts • Monument of the Republic • The Roman Bath • Yeni Mosque • The Column of Julian • Kocatepe Mosque

Ankara Plaza Hotel

6

-

500

Buyuk Anadolu Hotel

13

1.800

2.000

B.Surmeli Hotel

7

1.900

900

BW.Hotel 2000

3

-

700

Crowne Plaza Ankara

12

-

750

Hotel Bilkent Ankara

7

1.650

760

Hotel Dedeman

6

-

500

Rixos Grand Ankara

14

-

1.000

Sheraton Ankara

7

1.650

700

Swissotel Ankara

9

-

1.200

MICE Destinations

ANTALYA

I

n the picturesque old quarter of Kaleici, narrow, winding streets and old wooden houses abut the ancient city walls. Since its founding in the second century B.C., Antalya has been continuously inhabited. The region, bathed In sunshine 300 days of the year, is a paradise of sun-bathing, swimming and sports activities like windsurfing, water skiing, sailing, mountain climbing and hunting. If you come to Antalya in March or April, in the mornings you can ski the slopes and in the afternoons swim in the warm waters of the Mediterranean. Important historical sites await your discovery amid a landscape of pine forests, olive and citrus groves, and palm, avocado and banana plantations. The Turquoise

Coast is the tourism capital of Turkey.

Its full range of accommodations, about 35 000 delegates, sunny climate, variety of excursions and activities, and its warm hospitality make it a sought-after venue for meetings and conferences. The Antalya Covention Bureau, ACB, is an independant, nonprofit making organisation. Founded in 1995 as an off-shoot of the Antalya Promotion Foundation (ATAV) which has became a member of the European Federation of Conference Towns (EFCT) in1997. More information; A Culture, Exhibition and Congress Center was opened in 1996 in the Konyaalti Quarter. The Congress hall itself is in a glass pyramid.

City At a Glance Population: 1.132.211 Traffic Code: 07 Telephone Code: 0242 How to go Antalya airport is 10km east of the city centre, and has direct flights from Europe. It is well connected to other parts of Turkey, and daily direct flights from Istanbul and Ankara.

What to do With its palm-lined boulevard, internationally-acclaimed marina, and old castle with traditional architecture, all set amidst a modern city, Antalya is a major tourist centre in Turkey. In addition to the wide selection of hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and shops, the city also plays host to a number of sporting events throughout the year, like International Beach Volleyball, triathlon, golf tournaments, archery, tennis and canoeing competitions. The Cultural Centre, which opened in 1995, hosts cultural and art events in the fields of music, theatre, and creative arts. The main area of interest in the city is central old quarter within the Roman walls, known as Kaleici, and there are many good museums.

What to see • Truncated and fluted minarets • Archaeological Museum • Hadrian’s Gate Old Harbour • Perge, Side, Aspendos • Antalya Castle • Düden and Kursunlu Waterfalls

Convention & Exhibition Centers of Antalya Name

Nmbr Total of Sqm Halls

Largest Hall Name Capacity Theater

Nmbr Total of Sqm Halls

Largest Hall Capacity Theater

Adora Hotel

12

1000

1100

Miraje Park Hotel

11

930

1500

Antalya Culture Center

2

1100

817

Porto Bello

8

1150

1000

Cornelia Delux

-

1000m2

-

Rixos Sungate

16

-

2800

Cornelia Diamond

-

1475m2

-

Silence Beach Hotel

11

1100m2

1100

Crystal Hotels

-

1925m2

2200

Rixos Downtown

15

-

750 1350

Dedeman Hotel

12

480m2

700

Mardan Palace

9

-

Divan Talya

13

-

1000

Wow Kremlin Palace

4

-

1050

Kemer Resort Hotel

10

-

1000

AKKA Antedon Hotel

2

-

1074

Limak Atlantis

-

-

1000

Queen Elizabeth

10

-

1500

Rixos Lares

13

1041m2

1350

Amara Dolce Vita

6

-

1382

Miracle Resort Hotel

10

1200m2

1100

Xanadu Resort Hotel

13

-

1135

Mirada del mar

-

-

800

Maxx Royal

11

1956m2 1914

MICE Destinations

ISTANBUL

T

he former capital of three successive empires-Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman-the city is a fascinating mixture of past and present, old and new, modern and traditional.

The museums, churches, palaces, mosques and bazaars, and the sights of natural beauty seem inexhaustible.

As you recline on the shores of the Bosphorus at sunset contemplating the red evening light reflected in the windows and slender minarets on the opposite shore you understand, suddenly and profoundly, why so many centuries ago settlers chose to build on this remarkable site. In addition to its unique historical and cultural background and innumerable

attractions, modern hotels, exclusive restaurants, nightclubs, cabarets, bazaars and shops make Istanbul a superb site for meetings, conferences and conventions. Istanbul is fast becoming one of the most popular international congress and exhibition destinations. The opening of the Lütfi Kirdar Istanbul international Conference Center (I ICC) doubled the capacity of congress facilities in Istanbul. The I ICC is ideally located in the modern district of Harbiye, at the center of the city’s business, cultural and commercial life, surrounded by some of Europe’s top quality hotels. Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB) has all the contacts and information for your meetings in Istanbul. More information;

City At a Glance Population: 14.000.000 Traffic Code: 34 Telephone Code: 0212 (European side) 0216 (Asian side) How to go Istanbul city has modern and new international airport, which is well connected by regular flights, with most important destinations in Europe, Middle East, ana North America with. Besides, vast networks of flights fly between Istanbul and various other cities of Turkey. Ataturk International Airport is 20 km from city centre. Helicopter service is also available between the cities.

What to do While in Istanbul there is so much to do and look forward to. The museums, castles, palaces, great mosques, bazaars and sights of natural beauty seem inexhaustible.

Being a cultural and historical centre, exploring the grand heritage of the city should be the top most priority. Shopping which can be a pleasure in the markets of Istanbul should form another important part of your itinerary. More than anything else a walk down the lanes and by lanes of the many bazaars in Istanbul can be a great experience, if interested in feeling the culture and lifestyles of the people of this amazing land.

What to see • Dolmabahçe Palace • Küçüksu Pavillion • St. Irene • Topkapi Palace • Mosaic Museum • Blue Mosque • Covered Bazaar • St. Sophia • Kariye Museum • Beylerbeyi Palace • Yerebatan Cîstern • Miniaturk

Convention & Exhibition Centers of Istanbul Name

Number of Halls

Total sqm

Largest Hall Capacity (Theatre)

Abdi Ipekçi Sport Center

1

-

10.500

Adile Sultan Palace

15

5.625

500

Feshane Fair Center

3

5.500

Grand Cevahir Hotel

22

-

2.750

Haliç Congress Center

20

86.000

3008

Istanbul Hilton Exh. Cn.

9

2.824

1.500

Lutfi Kırdar ICEC

21

3.000

4.980

Military Museum Culture Cn.

5

2.462

1.000

Open Air Theater

1

-

4.000

TUYAP Fair & Congress Hall

3

16.000

1.000

World Trade Center

2

52.000

WOW Convention Center

7

-

4.000

MICE Destinations

IZMIR

I

zmir, historically Smyrna, is the third most populous city of Turkey and the country’s largest port after Istanbul.

It is located in the Gulf of Izmir, by the Aegean Sea. It is the capital of Izmir Province. Izmir is the inheritor of almost 3,500 years of urban past, and possibly up to that much more in terms of advanced human settlement patterns. It is Turkey’s first port for exports and its free zone, a Turkish-U.S. joint-venture established in 1990, is the leader among the twenty that Turkey counts. Its workforce, and particularly its rising class of young professionals, concentrated either in the city or in its immediate vicinity (such as in Manisa), and under either larger companies

or SME’s, affirm their name in an increasingly wider global scale and intensity. Izmir is widely regarded as one of the most liberal Turkish cities in terms of values, ideology, lifestyle, dynamism and gender roles.

The Izmir Convention & Visitors Bureau (Izmir CVB) was founded in 2007 by Izmir Tourism Promotion Foundation (IZTAV), as a non-profitable, independent of any marketing structure information exchange bureau. Izmir CVB’s mission is to promote the city’s rich cultural and natural assets and it’s great potential on a national and international level and is seeking guidelines and best practice to develop the city’s congress tourism.

City At a Glance Population: 3,627,098 Traffic Code: 35 Telephone Code: 0232 How to go Adnan Menderes Airport, 16km south of the city centre, has several daily flights to Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya. There are also regular flights from many European cities.

What to do While in Izmir see the sights, the Arkeoloji Müzesi (Archaeological Museum), near Konak Square, houses a superb collection of antiques including the statues of Poseidon, and Demeter which, in ancient times, stood in the agora. Neighboring the Archaeological Museum, the collection of the Etnografya Müzesi (Etnographical Museum) contains folkloric artifacts among which are fine collections of Bergama and Gördes carpets, traditional costumers and camel bridles. Situated on Atatürk Caddesi is an old Izmir house used by the founder of the Turkish Republic, the Atatürk Müzesi (Atatürk Museum) exhibits photographs of the leader as well as some of his personnel effects. The SelcukYasar Müzesi (SelcukYasar Art Museum) is a private museum on Cumhuriyet Bulvari with a collection of 20th century Turkish art. And wander in the bazaar, sip drinks and dine at the pleasant waterfront restaurants.

What to see • Agora • Clock Tower • Kadifekale • Ephesus – Selcuk- Virgin Mary • Seferhisar

• Pergamum – Bergama - Milet - Dydima • Kemeralti • Asansor • Alacati • Cesme

Convention & Exhibition Centers of Izmir Name Aegean University Hall

Number of Halls

Total sqm

Largest Hall Capacity (Theatre)

6

-

1.000

Altinyunus Holiday Resort

9

-

650

Adnan Saygun Culture & Art Cen.

6

29.500

1.225

Ataturk Culture Center

7

-

800

Hilton Izmir

16

-

700

Izfas

5

-

1.000

Sabanci Culture Palace

6

6.000

538

Kaya Izmir Convention Centre

26

5.500

1.500

Sheraton Cesme

22

-

-

Swissotel Izmir

22

7.299

1.550

Tepekule Congress & Ex. Cen.

14

-

1.100

DM companies

INTRA TOURS Incoming services in Turkey since 1980 Company Overview Intra Tours-DMC is a market leader in incoming tourism to Turkey from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece and is also very active in the USA, UK and South American markets. Its brand, INAIR Aviation provides important air transport services to both the incoming and outgoing sectors. As well as operating incoming services throughout Turkey, Intra Tours-DMC, through her dedicated M.I.C.E department, also organizes congresses, symposia, seminars, meetings, motivational programs, international exhibitions and incentive programs for international and domestic markets.

Ertugrul Arturo Karaoglu President&Ceo

Services Intra Tours - DMC have also received many awards for the quality of our excellent services. Intra was honored award with SKALITE ‘09 “Quality in Tourism” and SKALITE ‘10 “Quality in Tourism” second year in a row, under the category of incoming sector and also Tour Expi ‘10 awarded us as the “Best Incoming Agent”.

As a whole, Intra Tourism has been an important brand in Turkish tourism since 1980 and welcomes yearly 50.000 tourists from various international markets.

M.I.C.E Meetings ❍ Incentives ❍ Congresses ❍ Events n Luxury Travel n Platinum Service n F.I.T. Services Private arrangements for individuals and small parties Tailor Made Holidays n Hotels & Resorts ❍ Seaside Operations ❍ Hotel Contracts and Handling n Groups, Special Interest, Cultural and Study Tours n Blue Cruise Yacht Charter & Cabin Rental n Guaranteed Departure Tours on Seat in Coach basis ❍ English ❍ Italian ❍ Spanish ❍ Portugese ❍ French n Online Booking Faciliy -B2B ❍ Hotels ❍ Transfers ❍ Excursions n Aviation & Brokerage Full or seat basis spot or chain charter operations n

❍

Affiliations

Headquarters, Istanbul

Intra is a member of the following organizations:

Ergenekon Cad.62/603 Bomonti Sisli 34380 Istanbul TURKEY Phone: (90-212) 234 12 00 , 44INTRA - Fax : (90-212) 241 08 85 e-mail: mail@intraturkey.com - www.intraturkey.com Branch Offices : Antalya, Kuşadası, Bodrum

ASTA - SKAL - SITE - TURSAB

ORION TOUR

ERSAN ATSÜR President

Company Overview

Services

ORION TOUR was established in 1969 in order to meet the fast growing demand for FIT and GIT land tours throughout Turkey. Since then, the company has become one of the top leading tour operators in the country with energetic and well-experienced staff, necessary to run an efficient and smooth operation. Through Orion’s computerized systems and worldwide connections, you are assured of reliable and professional services.

ORION TOUR DMC has successfully arranged many meetings and symposiums and is, therefore, armed with a lot of knowledge and experience. ORION TOUR successfully organized the International Symposium on St. Nicholas (Santa Claus, Father Christmas) for years. This International Symposium was solely organized and managed by us and scholars from various European countries, U.S.A and Canada participated in this International Symposium for over a decade. Only few years ago, the annual meeting of the World Council of

Wear TV – 125 pax Lux – 120 pax Citibank – 135 pax Nutrimetrics - 700 pax Shaklee - 1200 pax Shell - 850 pax Hoechst - 350 pax Ciba-Geigy - 250 pax Panasonic - 350 pax Eagle-Star - 225 pax Hoover - 195 pax Bridgestone - 450 pax NATO-Conference on Education and Training on Operational Research - 1300 pax AIA - American International Assurance Company - 225 pax Telcom South Africa - 150 pax Thira Parma Phillipinnes - 325 pax Sony Singapore - 125 pax InnKeeper Australia - 175 pax

Churches in Turkey was also planned, organised and successfully managed by Orion Tour.

Furthermore, annual meetings and congresses for Wear TV, Lux, Citibank, Nutrimetrics, Shaklee, Shell, Hoechst, Ciba-Geigy, Panasonic, Eagle-Star, Hoover, Bridgestone, NATO-Conference on Education and Training on Operational Research, AIA - American International Assurance Company, Telcom South Africa, Thira Parma Phillipinnes, Sony Singapore and InnKeeper Australia were all carried out by our company.

ORION TOUR has and offers a whole range of well-experienced and reputable guides to meet and cope with the demand and interest of and to provide the comfort and care for our guests.

Most of these professional guides are multilingual and we provide a whole range of foreign languages; from the common and well-spoken languages of English, French, German and Arabic to the relatively less frequently requested languages like Japanese and Chinese (Mandarin).

Affiliations Orion - tour is a member of the following organizations:

ASTA - JATA - PATA - SITE - TURSAB - UFTAA 48

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ORION TOUR - Tourism Organisation & Travel Agency Address: Halaskargazi Cad. No:166/3 Sisli 34360 Istanbul/TURKEY Tel: +90(212)2326300 - 2319570 Fax: +90(212)2412808 - 2414953 www.oriontour.com e-mail: orion@oriontour.com.tr

MEETURKEY Alternative Tourism & Incentive Magazine

DM companies

SETUR TRAVEL AGENCY Company Overview

Oktay Temeller MICE & Business Dev.Mng.

References

Setur is a part of Koç Group of Companies.

Setur carries all its activities with corporate management, customer satisfaction, social responsibility and environmental protection principles in international standards.

Setur is involved in every activity in the field of tourism and also possesses a significant portion of Duty Free Market in Turkey with its stores at airports, border gates and ports.

Besides, Setair, an aviation unit of Setur, has a fleet of 2 jet planes, 2 helicopters and one seaplane.

Furthermore, “Setur Marinas” performs the only marina chain of Turkey with its eight marinas along the Turkish coasts.Setur owns Turkey’s biggest on-line tourism portal bookinturkey.com which presents flight ticket alternatives, transfer services and online booking options to international and domestic.Setur officially registered its quality

with ISO 9000-2001 standards in 2002.

Setur M.I.C.E. department ,with its 30 years of experience in congress industry, has succeeded many important organizations including the OSCE Summit in 1999 and NATO Istanbul Summit in 2004. Setur provides a complete solution partnership and prepares all kinds of organizations such as national and international congresses, dealer and training meetings, incentive visits, ceremonies, product launches, corporate meetings. Setur M.I.C.E. designs the most appropriate solutions for your brand and provides single handed services to give the most suitable message at the right time, in the right place, and with the right content.

In every step of the way, the team acts as a part of your team and shares their extensive information, knowhow and experience with you.

LEVI’S Dealer meeting KOÇ HOLDING Executive meeting KOC HOLDING Anatolia meetings FORD Ecoboost launch TÜPRAŞ 5th year celebration event FORD 51st Annual dealers meeting BEKO Annual dealers meeting FIAT 2011 dealers meeting FORD Focus launch KOÇTAŞ İzmir branch 15.year celebration event OTOKOÇ branch managers meeting RMK MARINE Coast Guard boat delivery ARÇELİK Research and Development reward event FORD Dealers Event AYGAZ 50.year celebration event FIAT 500C launch DIVAN ELMADAG opening event TÜPRAŞ Annual internal meeting AYGAZ Dealers Meeting GRUNDIG Dealers Meeting

Memberships

Headquarters

Setur is a member of the following organizations :

SETUR TRAVEL AGENCY Bağlarbaşı Kısıklı Cad. No: 24 34662 Altunizade Phone: (+90 216) 554 37 00 Fax: (+90 216) 474 94 29 E-mail: info@setur.com.tr Web: www.setur.com.tr

IAPCO, ICCA, ASTA, ICVB

TEKSER TOURISM & TRAVEL INC.

TekSer Tourism & Travel was founded in 1979 in order to answer the travel related needs of the business community. During the ensuing two decades, Tekser has become a major international operator, offering a wide range of travel options with highly competitive quotations for discerning customers.

Accustomed to being the leader in its field, TekSer’ s multilingual staff of 35 supported by a carefully recruited team of English speaking tour directors, guides, transfer assistants and drivers run its four operational departments.

The TekSer difference in attitude and performance is reflected in our motto personalized service at its best – Two decades dedicated to excellence in customer satisfaction and the experience gained

preparing the ideal custom made programs for such diverse guests as executives of major multinationals , conference delegates and/or religious study groups has taught us how to respond to our clients’ requirements efficiently, to be scrupulous in choosing what we offer and meticulous in the way we deliver them.

TekSer Incentives & Meetings Department, our standard bearer, has concluded quite a few international events, many involving globally known companies.

For us, a successful incentive lets your guests carry back home that sense of uniqueness, which comes from just having lived a “once in a lifetime experience”. Our job is to suggest, design and deliver the particular program to create that special effect.

Feyhan Kaprali General Manager

• Organization of incentives, conventions,seminars, congresses • Organization of meetings for any purpose in uniquelocations - in historical settings, among natural attractions, exciting places, on traditional wooden yachts or cruise vessels…

• Cultural, historical, religious, archeological and other special interest tours • Museum and art tours, alumni group meetings • Summer or winter holiday arrangements, • Yacht cruises and charters, special itinerary odysseys by yacht and explorations including visits to Greek Islands.

• Skiing, hot air ballooning, adventure travel • Airline ticketing (IATA) • Hotel bookings and car rental

Affiliations

Headquarters

TekSer is a member of the following organizations:

Meşrutiyet Mahallesi, Halaskargazi Caddesi, Gazi Ethem Pasa Sitesi, No:112 Kat:4 Osmanbey - İstanbul - TURKEY Phone: +90 212 231 6800 - Fax: + 90 212 231 67 04 e-mail:incentive@tekser.com - www.tekser.com

ASTA-IATA-TURSAB-SITE-USTOA-UFTAA

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The 20th IT&CMA and 15th CTW Asia-Pacific 2 - 4 October 2012 Incor

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ry u x u L l e v a r T

Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld Bangkok, Thailand Delegate Categories • MICE & Corporate Travel Exhibitors • MICE Buyers • Corporate Travel Managers • Conference Delegates • Industry Media

www.itcma.com www.corporatetravelworld.com

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