On 17 April, the Ambassador of Türkiye to Turkmenistan Ahmet Demirok hosted a reception organized in honor of Türkiye Tourism Week. The venue was the Cultural Center of Türkiye in Ashgabat.
The event welcomed Deputy Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan, Nursakhet Shirimov, as the guest representative from the Turkmen side.
In his opening speech, Ambassador Ahmet Demirok highlighted Türkiye’s remarkable achievements in tourism for 2024, noting that the country welcomed an impressive 62.3 million visitors, generating a record-breaking $61.1 billion in tourism revenue. He also shared official statistics showing that 153,688 Turkmen citizens visited Türkiye in 2024—an increase of 27% compared to the previous year.
The reception featured an array of cultural delights, including performances of traditional music and Turkish cuisine. The venue was adorned with posters showcasing picturesque views of Türkiye’s famous resorts, bringing a visual taste of the country’s beauty to the attendees.
The event served as a celebration of the growing cultural and tourism ties between Türkiye and Turkmenistan, emphasizing the mutual appreciation for each other’s heritage and the opportunities for continued collaboration in the tourism sector.
Speech by Ambassador Ahmet Demirok:
Dear colleagues, Embassy staff, and dear guests,
Welcome to the event organized on the occasion of the Turkish Tourism Week, which is celebrated from April 15 to 22.
Starting in mid-April, with the opening of the summer tourist season, both vacationers and tourist facilities in Türkiye begin active preparations.
I think you’ve already started making plans for a summer vacation with your loved ones, too.
In this context, we are pleased to welcome you here as part of the Tourism Week to introduce you to the tourist regions and sites of our country, both in Türkiye and abroad. We are sure it will be useful when planning your future vacation.
As you know, Türkiye, being one of the most visited countries in the world, receives many tourists every year due to its excellent climate, natural beauty, historical wealth and unique culture uniting East and West.
Today, there are many tourist activities in every region of Türkiye all year round.
Dear guests,
As you know, thanks to the developed tourist infrastructure, Türkiye receives a large number of tourists every year.
I want to share with you data on the Turkish tourism sector:
In 2024, 62.3 million people visited Türkiye, and tourism revenue reached a record 61.1 billion dollars.
In 2025, it is planned to reach new records: 65 million visitors and revenue of 64 billion dollars.
Culture and tourism are an important area of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Türkiye. In recent years, we have seen an increase in the interest of our Turkmen friends in Türkiye. According to official statistics, 153,688 Turkmen citizens visited Türkiye in 2024, which is 27% more than in the previous year.
Turkish Airlines, which began its journey in the sky in 1933 with a fleet of only five aircraft, remains the world leader today as “the airline operating flights to the largest number of countries.” Currently, its fleet consists of 472 aircraft operating flights to 131 countries and 353 destinations, making a significant contribution to the development of tourism in Türkiye.
Since April 1, 2025, Turkish Airlines has increased the number of flights on the Istanbul – Ashgabat – Istanbul route from 11 to 14 per week, and from June 10, 2025, it plans to increase them to 17 per week. Currently, Turkmenistan Airlines operates 10 flights per week between Ashgabat and Istanbul.
In order to promote Türkiye, the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency and Turkish Airlines annually host media representatives, cultural and artistic figures, as well as travel agencies from many countries, including Turkmenistan.
16 people took part in various events held in 2024, including 7 representatives of the press and 9 representatives of travel agencies from Turkmenistan.
As part of the educational events, 22 people will travel to Türkiye in May 2025, including 11 representatives of agencies and 11 journalists from Turkmenistan. From May 12 to May 16, 2025, they will travel to the cities of Trabzon and Rize, focusing on nature, history and culture; from May 26 to May 28, 2025, they will take part in a tour dedicated to the sea, sand and sun in Antalya, the tourist capital of Türkiye.
Artists and painters from Turkmenistan also come to our country from time to time as part of various projects.
Our country attaches great importance to deepening cooperation with fraternal Turkmenistan in all areas. Cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries is also developing dynamically.
During the official visit of President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov to Türkiye on October 26, 2023, 13 agreements were signed, one of which was the “Agreement on Cooperation in the field of culture.” This agreement entered into force on January 22, 2025.
We plan to continue our intensive cultural program in Turkmenistan in 2025.
In this context, the Days of Culture of Turkmenistan will be held in our country this year. Negotiations with the Turkmen side regarding the exact date and cities of the event are ongoing.
We also plan to participate in joint theater and dance festivals throughout the year, and in December we plan to organize events in Turkmenistan in memory of Mevlana.
The year 2025, which marks the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality, was also declared the “Year of International Peace and Trust” by the UN Security Council on Turkmenistan’s initiative. In this regard, the Turkmen side plans to hold various events throughout the year.
We are ready to provide comprehensive support to our Turkmen brothers in organizing events in Türkiye within the framework of the “Year of International Peace and Trust”.
We are pleased with the deep love and interest in the Turkish language and culture in Turkmenistan.
Turkish music, TV series and films, as well as Turkish culture in general, are of great interest to the Turkmen brothers.
In this context, we hope that in the future the Yunus Emre Cultural Center, which is an institute of Turkish culture, will be able to open in Ashgabat to organize even more cultural events for our Turkmen friends.
We will continue to work on strengthening cooperation with Turkmenistan in the field of culture and tourism.
Thank you for participating in our event. ///nCa, 18 April 2025
Here are some photos from the event:
