Turkish Forum

Category: Business

  • Minorities ‘given entire asset rights’ in Turkey

    Minorities ‘given entire asset rights’ in Turkey

    Turkey’s Foundations Directorate General has organized a seminar on new regulations regarding minority foundations.

    images 48Held in Galata Greek School in Istanbul on Dec. 13, the seminar titled “The Legal Condition of the Minority Foundations” was the first of its kind in the Republican period.

    Foundations Directorate General’s Chief Inspector Okan Saydam, the foundations’ Istanbul 1st Region deputy head Ebru Günaydın and Laki Vingas, who is in charge of minority foundations in the Directorate, were present at the seminar. Also, representatives of minority communities, including Armenian, Greek, Syriac and Jewish foundations showed a great interest in the seminar.

    Saydam spoke to the Hürriyet Daily News about the latest developments the Directorate is working on. He said they cancelled the elective regulation of minority foundations and were working on a new one, which would be announced soon.

    “Many law cases were opened to the elective processes of some foundations. Administrators could resist holding an election. Also, voter lists were not organized in an effective way. The new elective regulation we are working on will prevent such problems,” Saydam said.

    via Minorities ‘given entire asset rights’ in Turkey | Vestnik Kavkaza.

  • Air Canada and Turkish Airlines enter into Code Share Agreement

    Air Canada and Turkish Airlines enter into Code Share Agreement

    By AIR CANADA

    MONTREAL, Nov. 30, 2012 — /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada and Turkish Airlines are pleased to announce today a reciprocal code sharing agreement that will make it easy and convenient for customers to connect between the two Star Alliance partner airlines. The agreement, to take effect the beginning of the second quarter of 2013, will leverage Air Canada’s planned Toronto-Istanbul route launching this summer pending receipt of government approval.

    “Air Canada is delighted by this code share agreement with our Star Alliance partner Turkish Airlines as it will ensure seamless connections on a single itinerary for our customers traveling beyond Istanbul throughout Turkey and to points in Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East. We look forward to welcoming aboard our aircraft Turkish Airlines customers who want to explore or do business in Canada through our extensive network,” said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada, who signed a letter of intent for the agreement at ceremony during a Star Alliance chief executive meeting in Shenzhen, China. “Customers on both airlines will receive the top-rated service and hospitality that is the hallmark of Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline network, including the opportunity to collect and redeem frequent flyer mileage and access to lounges for eligible customers.”

    “We are extremely delighted to sign the code share agreement with Air Canada, as this code share partnership serves as an example of Turkish Airlines’ target to maximize the travel opportunities offered to passengers through the extensive networks of both airlines. This new code share agreement enables the customers to enjoy both the global network and the seamless service arising from the cooperation. We will have a chance to transfer our passengers to more US and Canadian domestic destinations via Toronto by connecting our networks,” said Temel Kotil, Ph.D., President and CEO of Turkish Airlines.

    Under the code share agreement the two carriers will each place their flight designator code on select flights making it more convenient for travelers with such benefits as a single itinerary, through-checked bags and mutual status recognition. The agreement will include Air Canada’s code on Turkish Airlines’ Toronto-Istanbul flight and several destinations beyond Istanbul, not only in Turkey but also in the Middle East and Africa region. Turkish Airlines will also code share on Air Canada’s new non-stop service between Toronto and Istanbul providing connections to domestic Canada and several points from Toronto to U.S destinations. Moreover, with the loyalty program, passengers will have the opportunity to earn and use miles both on Turkish Airlines and Air Canada flights.

    About Air Canada

    Air Canada intends to begin operating a year-round, three-times a week service between Toronto and Istanbul this summer pending government approval. Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline serving more than 175 destinations on five continents. Canada’s flag carrier is the 15th largest commercial airline in the world and in 2011 served more than 33 million customers.  Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 59 Canadian cities, 56 destinations in the United States and 63 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America.  Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,356 destinations in 193 countries. In 2012, Air Canada was ranked Best International Airline in North America in a worldwide survey of more than 18 million airline passengers conducted by independent research firm Skytrax. For more information visit aircanada.com, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook.

    About Turkish Airlines

    Established in 1933 with a fleet of only five airplanes, Star Alliance member, Turkish Airlines is today a four star airline with a fleet of 200 aircraft (passenger and cargo) flying to 207 cities around the world, comprised of 36 domestic and 171 international destinations. One of the fastest growing airline companies, Turkish Airlines has received several “Passengers Choice Awards” from the consumer ranking group, Skytrax. Based on 2011 and 2012 results, Turkish Airlines has been chosen as the winner of “Best Airline Europe”, “Best Premium Economy Seats” for its Comfort Class seats and “Best Airline Southern Europe”. It has also received awards for its catering and holds a coveted 4-star designation, putting the airline in a small group of top quality carriers. Turkish Airlines was also given the Skytrax designation of “World’s Best Economy Class On-board Catering” in 2010, and Skyscanner’s “Best On-board Food 2011”. Long haul Business Class passengers also enjoy the Flying Chef service on-board.

    About Star Alliance:

    The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, AviancaTaca, Blue1, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAM Airlines, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. EVA Air and Shenzhen Airlines have been announced as future members. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers more than 21,500 daily flights to 1,356 airports in 193 countries.

    SOURCE AIR CANADA

    Read more here:

  • Alyssa Miller – Harper’s Bazaar – Turkey • Selectism

    Alyssa Miller – Harper’s Bazaar – Turkey • Selectism

    Real simple here: American model, Alyssa Miller, photographed in lingerie, by Koray Birand for Turkey’s Harper’s Bazaar. This editorial is a semi-NSFW affair that stays very classy while showcasing more than most. Very well done… and appreciated. Enjoy the campaign film for the editorial as well as more looks in our gallery.

    via Alyssa Miller – Harper’s Bazaar – Turkey • Selectism.

  • Yelp Goes Transcontinental With Launch in Turkey

    Yelp Goes Transcontinental With Launch in Turkey

    ISTANBUL, Dec. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Yelp Inc. (NYSE: YELP), the company that connects consumers with great local businesses, today announced the availability of Yelp Turkey ). Beginning today, people in Turkey are able to create accounts on Yelp.com.tr to share their opinions about great local businesses and services. Yelp’s free iPhone and Android applications will be available as well as its free suite of business owner tools: Yelp for Business Owners ).

    SFW134LOGO

    “Bridging the European and Asian continents, Turkey has always been a place for different cultures and communities to meet, exchange and develop,” said Miriam Warren, Vice President New Markets. “We look forward to watching the Yelp community experience that same treatment as we hand over the reins to the local population and ask them to make Yelp their very own local guide to what’s good and great wherever they are in Turkey.”

    A newly industrialized country with the youngest population in Western Europe by median age, a rapidly expanding population and an entrepreneurial spirit to rival that of any nation, Turkey is ideally suited to develop its own Yelp community for the benefit of both consumers and independent small businesses.

    Initially, Yelp’s community building efforts will be concentrated in Istanbul, an expansive city that spans two separate continents. However, the full-featured site will be available to all Turks across the entire country and will support English, Danish, Dutch, French, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Polish and Turkish, providing users access to local insights in any one of these twelve languages.

    To learn more and see pictures of Yelp.com.tr and our iPhone and Android applications, visit our Yelp Official Blog .

    About Yelp

    Yelp or http://www.yelp.com.tr) connects people with great local businesses. Yelp was founded in San Francisco in July 2004. Since then, Yelp communities have taken root in major metros across the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Singapore and Poland. Yelp had a monthly average of 84 million unique visitors in Q3 2012*. By the end of Q3 2012, Yelpers had written more than 33 million rich, local reviews, making Yelp the leading local guide for real word-of-mouth on everything from boutiques and mechanics to restaurants and dentists. Yelp’s mobile application was used on 8.2 million unique mobile devices on a monthly average basis during Q3 2012. For more information, please visit or send an email to press@yelp.com.

    * Source: Google Analytics

    Media Contacts:

    UK

    Elliot Adams

    Yelp

    eadams@yelp.co.uk or press@yelp.co.uk

    +44 (0) 207 347 1663

    SOURCE Yelp Inc.

    via Yelp Goes Transcontinental With Launch in Turkey — ISTANBUL, Dec. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –.

  • Elegy for Istanbul’s Inci Pastanesi

    Elegy for Istanbul’s Inci Pastanesi

    We would have liked to like the profiterol at İnci Pastanesi, and to believe their claim that the profiterol was invented on the premises in the 1940s. But in fact, we’ve always appreciated İnci for non-culinary reasons. Until last week, this old-school Beyoğlu pastry shop had been spooning out cream puffs covered in chocolate goop for almost 70 years with respect for tradition and a refreshing contempt for the latest trends in interior design. Our eyes had grown used to resting on its charmingly worn façade as we walked down İstiklal Caddesi. For better or worse, İnci was an institution.

    cb ist inci amullins final1

    Last Friday, we were alarmed to see a line of police and several moving trucks blocking our view of İnci. As we got closer and saw the cargo in the back of one truck – crates of eggs, banged-up stainless steel coolers – we realized that İnci was being gutted. It was a painful sight that, for us at least, represented the final chapter in the story of this neighborhood in the last century.

    For many, the mention of İnci wells up a sentimental memory of the first taste of something sweet in this classic patisserie, but for us, as non-local students of the area’s heritage, it always represented the last of public emblem of Beyoğlu’s non-Muslim community, a culture long on life support. Though the history of İnci – established in 1944 by a Greek migrant from Albania named Lucas Zigoridis (aka Luka Zigori) – is more recent than the late-19th-century heyday of the neighborhood, it was still a part of that tradition.

    Despite the glam pastry scene of İstiklal Caddesi at the time (in an interview with Milliyet, Zigoridis spoke of the stiff competition), the 1940s was a dark period for Beyoğlu, later followed by even darker times. Zigoridis surely saw many of his neighbors and friends shipped off to work camps when the Varlık Vergisi, or “wealth tax,” effectively targeted minorities. A decade into his lease, the shop owner must have feared for his life on September 6-7, 1955 when two days of violent looting trashed nearly every Greek-owned business on İstiklal Caddesi, prompting an exodus of native Greeks from Istanbul to Greece, Europe and North America. And we can only imagine how difficult it must have been for Lucas Bey to continue serving profiterole in the 1970s, after seeing his own son (among many other Istanbul Greeks) forced to emigrate to Greece at a moment’s notice.

    But Lucas Bey stayed put at his shop in the Cercle D’Orient building at İstiklal Caddesi 124, spooning out profiterole through the gritty ’80s and ’90s, when even a porn theater was considered a good neighbor. He must have watched the tailors and other esnaf, the theaters and the old meyhanes slowly disappear until he himself passed away, leaving the keys and the lease with his apprentice, Musa Ateş, who dutifully carried it out to its last days.

    So while it’s nice to think of İnci with a twinge of nostalgia, as a reminder of the era of misyurler and madamlar, we find it hard not to be reminded of the neighborhood’s cultural destruction. Walking into İnci meant stepping into the past, accompanied by all of Beyoğlu’s ghosts. İnci witnessed it all, and the pastry shop’s forced closure after losing an appeal to retain its lease feels like nothing less than a desecration of the memory of this neighborhood.

    We are certain that once the Cercle D’Orient building is demolished and “restored” as a shopping mall, the Istanbul municipality will glue a small plaque commemorating the spot where the İnci once stood. Though a laughable gesture pointing to a failure to protect the neighborhood’s heritage, it will at least make it easier for the ghosts to find their way back to haunt the Gap or the food court or whatever ends up at İstiklal Caddesi 124.

    via Elegy for Istanbul’s Inci Pastanesi | Culinary Backstreets.