New Turkish Airlines chief vows to promote tourism

KARACHI – The newly-appointed Country Manager of the Turkish Airlines (TA) in Pakistan Huseyin Cepni vowed to promote air industry, tourism and bilateral ties between the two countries. In his maiden meeting with Pakistan Today in Karachi on Monday, he said that his first task would be to promote tourism and brotherhood with Pakistanis. Outgoing Country Manager of Turkish Airlines Utku Yazan and Marketing Manager Zahid were also present at the meeting. Every year, the number of Pakistani tourists to Turkey was growing significantly that reflected the strength and potential of tourism, business and education. Pakistanis are our brothers and I see further growth in the business of Turkish Airlines in Pakistan and socio-economic relationship between the two nations,” he said. I will strive hard to further cement ties between Pakistan and Turkey. Huseyin had been transferred from Barcelona office of the Turkish Airlines and posted in Karachi. He had replaced Utku Yazan, ex-country manager of the airlines, who has served his airline for three years. Turkish Airlines organised a brief function at its airport office in Karachi to welcome the newly-appointed Country Manager Huseyin Cepin and to bid farewell to the outgoing Chief Utku Yazan.Yazan, the outgoing Chief of Turkish Airlines in Pakistan, said that he came in Karachi three years ago, in 2008, when global recession had badly affected the business environment all over the world.He said that he and his team worked hard, braved the recession and achieved an encouraging growth in the number of tourists visiting from Pakistan to Istanbul from 2008 to March 2011. From January-March 2011, the Turkish Airlines had recorded 30 percent increase in the number of Pakistani tourists to Istanbul, a significant achievement, Yazan said. He maintained that Pakistanis have welcomed Turkish’s national airline, one of the reasons for an astounding improvement in the business of his airline. “My interactions with local businessmen, politicians, students and common people remained very friendly and it helped in augmenting bilateral relationship and tourism,” Yazan said. “I will be leaving Pakistan with memories and will never forget the friendship and cooperation of my brethren in this country,” he added.