Tripping on Turkey

Bollywood too has been seduced. Mallika Sherawat’s item number in Guru has triggered a rush to capture Pamuk’s Istanbul on celluloid. Mission Istanbul is next in line even as other film producers await permission to start shooting. The bahus of K-serials have also begun taking a break from their high-voltage domestic squabbles to holiday in Turkey. Balaji Films’ Kasamh Se was the first Indian soap to shoot in Turkey and was followed by Kayamath.

It all began, they say, in 2003. That was the year Turkish Airlines started direct flights from both Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul. It was around this time that the Indian tourist first read about the huzun(melancholy)-tinged sunsets of Istanbul, wanted to cruise down the Bosphorus and amble in the Hellenic ruins of Ephesus.

The figures tell the story. What was a trickle in 2002, when just 4,354 visas were issued by the Turkish embassy, has now become a flood—18,000 visas were issued in 2006 and in 2007, the figure is 22,000 and counting. Slowly, but steadily, Turkey is nudging out the more popular South-East Asian destinations that Indians have traditionally thronged to shop till they drop. “It’s true,” said Gaur Kanjilal, director of the Indian Association of Tour Operators. “It is turning out to be the ideal destination for most. Its biggest advantage is that it is en route to Europe and the stopover is convenient. Initially, people would spend only a few days in Istanbul, but now they are staying longer.” It helps that the exotica is affordable. A weeklong-day trip to Turkey costs between Rs 55,000 and Rs 75,000 and includes accommodation, return air fare, sightseeing costs and visa fee.

So when designer Gitanjali Kashyap was planning her vacation this summer, Turkey was an obvious choice. “My parents were travelling with us and we are all interested in history and culture. We chose Turkey. A two-week trip left us impressed,” she said.

Like most visitors, Kashyap’s vacation began in the city that straddles two continents, Istanbul. “Turkey is scattered with fascinating artifacts. The Topkapi Palace collection is fantastic, better than the others I have seen in different parts of the world,” she said.

History rubs shoulders with fast-paced modernity in Istanbul—one of its greatest attractions. “It is a great place for parties,” said Kohli, who is already planning her second trip to Turkey next March. “I went to Istanbul to source carpets and kilms, but ended up having a great holiday too. You won’t see a single electric wire running across Istanbul. Yet the city is so modern, with remnants of the Byzantine Empire adding to the charm.”

Siddharth Narang works with a real estate firm in New York and has just returned from Istanbul. “Unlike most people I know, who are drawn to Turkey for its party scene, I went for the history. It is really fascinating to see a city built on two continents. The eastern side, which is in Asia, is more low-key and residential. The western side is more built-up, where the younger lot live it up,” he said.

Described in guidebooks as the “Mediterranean’s bargain-basement” destination, Istanbul isn’t the only tourist attraction in Turkey. The other equally, popular destination are the ruins at Ephesus. But the real discovery for Kashyap and her family was Cappadocia, a bizarre field of phallic rock formations, anthill-like cones, rock-hewn churches and underground cities. As early as the third century, they became a hiding place for early Christians who fled persecution from the Romans, and then later from raiding Muslims.

History aside, many are drawn to Turkey’s beaches and party towns like Bodrum, South Aegean’s prettiest resort from where ferries run to the Greek island of Kos. But it isn’t just the boating, swimming, snorkeling and scuba-diving that Bodrum thrives on. At night, the famous discos come to life here, keeping the town awake till dawn. So if you want peace and quiet, don’t go to Bodrum. Try the quieter beaches of Antalya instead.

The language is a slight barrier and Kashyap’s only tip is to watch out for taxi drivers. “They are big crooks and we got cheated a couple of times,” she said. “They are good at making your money disappear. Despite them, we will definitely go again.”

No wonder, then, that in a quite corner of New Delhi’s diplomatic hub in Chanakyapuri, a plan is being put in place to cash in on the Indian tourist’s growing fascination with Turkey.

“The Indian middle class is growing and they want to discover new places,” said Isil Dogan, third secretary at the embassy. “Turkey is an attractive destination for those looking for European standards and a warm atmosphere. Besides, Turkish people are similar to Indians. You will feel at home in Turkey.”

When Turkey’s minister of tourism Atilla Koc was in India last year and signed a protocol with Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni, it was just the beginning. Since then, the Turkish embassy and tour operators have been on an overdrive to woo Indian travellers.

With “at least one telephone call a day” from filmmakers, admen and music video directors to shoot in Turkey, the Turkish government has put their plans to open a second consulate in Mumbai on the fast track (it should open in 2008). Around that time, they also hope that their newly appointed tourism attaché will be in Delhi to get more Indians to travel to Turkey. “They are very aggressively marketing Turkey, targeting small towns like Amritsar and Hisar, from where many travel to the UK. They offer attractive stopover packages to these long- haul passengers. They are also tapping into the software community in Bangalore,” said Gaur.

In 2006, 20 million tourists visited this country with a population of 70 million. They went scuba-diving, skiing, shopping, gorging on gozelmeres (pancakes) and reliving history. Among them were Indians, who stopped near three graves in Gallipoli, to pay homage to three Indian soldiers who fought in World War I. As they say, Turkey has something for everyone.