Turkish Airlines celebrates Türkiye with evening of music & cuisine
Türkiye has been calling to me for a number of years. The country is unique and vibrant, and while I still need to visit, I had a taste this week as the sights, sounds, and flavours of the country came to Toronto for a special night with Turkish Airlines.
Celebrating their top partners in Canada, their Agency Awards dinner was a big treat at the Design Exchange. It was also a perfect opportunity to recognize 15 years of the airline flying from Toronto, and their Guinness record-setting service to 131 countries and 353 destinations.
Dinner at the event featured Turkish-style braised beef short ribs, sumac seared chicken breast with purple mash, and a delectable dark chocolate dome with sour Napolean Turkish cherries compote. There was Turkish and lemonade, and the only thing missing was Turkish coffee, but it was a little late for that treat.
My favourite highlight of the evening though was the music. A trio of performers played traditional Turkish music, and the crowd eagerly clapped along. It was a treat to hear, with interpretations of the song’s lyrics on the screen, including “Y?ld?zlar?n Alt?nda” and “Nihavend Longa”.
Fatih Durmaz, VP Sales North America, spoke about the year’s past successes, and the fact that they have 12 flights every week from Canada. Can Yolda?, Consul General for the Republic of Türkiye in Toronto, also spoke about defeating barriers of the modern world, to and finding new collaborations and better connectivity.
It’s worth noting that, if Istanbul is calling you like it’s calling me, there are daily flights to the historic city from June to October from Toronto.
Congratulations to all of the top performers and agencies working with Turkish Airlines, including Cedar Travel, Gala Travels, Voyzant Travel, Uniglobe, and Flight Centre.
Photos by: James Paul Gomez.
