The organizers of İstanbul’s Oktoberfest are being sued by several companies who claim they were incorrectly listed as sponsors on the event’s website.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry, Karaköy Güllüoğlu (one of the most famous producers of baklava in Turkey) and Coşkun Et (a company selling meat products) received many complaints after they were made out to be sponsors of the İstanbul Oktoberfest, a beer festival held with the aim of bringing German culture and tradition to İstanbul.
Karaköy Güllüoğlu told the press on Thursday that it had not sponsored the Oktoberfest, adding that a student had bought some sweet products in bulk from them, after which the organizers listed Karaköy Güllüoğlu as being a sponsor of the beer festival. The Culture and Tourism Ministry and Cuşkun Et also claimed that they had not sponsored the event. A written statement on the ministry website on Thursday said the ministry had only sent a letter of support to the organizers, thinking the event it would help Turkey attract tourists from German-speaking countries.
Coşkun Et’s owner, Hanefi Coşkun, said that his company had sold sausages to the organizers of the event and were consequently considered to be a sponsor, adding that they will no longer consider selling products to be consumed at the Oktoberfest in İstanbul.
The İstanbul Oktoberfest was held at Parkorman on Oct. 9, 2011 by the İstanbul-based entertainment and gastronomy company, KafePi. The original Oktoberfest dates back to 1810 and is held annually in Munich from the end of September to the first weekend in October.(todayszaman)