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I have been to Turkey several times. They (Turkish Airlines) are somehow able to consistently be one of the lowest cost and decent airlines.
It is a shame that the country under Erdogan (current leader) does not have better relations with Israel.
I do NOT wear a kippa in Public in Turkey. (I wear a hat/cap)
Even with a hotel for a few nights Turkish Airlines can beat many airlines in terms of price.
I stayed at a decent hotel in Istanbul for about 50$/night.
They have fares to Israel for about 704$ in May of 2015.
Ukraine / Russian airlines are cheaper sometimes but I don't think they are great ..
How does Turkish airlines do it?
The only things I can think of : lower fuel costs? Lower wages? govt subsidies?
The airline is quite ok and Turkey is one of the few Muslim countries that flies to Israel with four or more flights per day on average...
This is not meant to be an Ad for Turk Air....but it is in interesting ::) phenomena....

If you have any questions regarding kosher food or shuls contact Rabbi Mendy Chitrik at mchitrik@gmail.com.
« Last edited by jedderai on July 01, 2015, 10:53:51 PM »

Author Topic: Türkiye Master Thread  (Read 57496 times)

Offline moish

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #80 on: July 16, 2013, 07:34:43 AM »
http://www.jewishturkey.com/

Tel: 90-533-513-7402 : טלפון
Home:  90-533-513-7402 : בית

Offline rots5

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #81 on: July 16, 2013, 07:43:05 AM »
http://www.jewishturkey.com/

Tel: 90-533-513-7402 : טלפון
Home:  90-533-513-7402 : בית
thanks so much!
If you have any questions please search and then ask. PM me for detailed help.

Offline TWA33

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #82 on: July 16, 2013, 12:04:52 PM »
Thanks from me too! We will be in Turkey from Sept. 9-17 (including Yom Kippor) so this is most helpful!

Offline rots5

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #83 on: July 16, 2013, 12:06:32 PM »
Thanks from me too! We will be in Turkey from Sept. 9-17 (including Yom Kippor) so this is most helpful!
wow!
If you have any questions please search and then ask. PM me for detailed help.

Offline gevaldig

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #84 on: August 19, 2013, 07:50:00 PM »
any way to access the lounge in IST, ? making a stopover on way to TLV, I have united club and lounge club from chase ink

Online travel agent

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #85 on: November 25, 2013, 03:36:07 PM »
Was there a few years ago for a day time stopover with two friends. In the main arrival hall they had a luggage storage that was not expensive, where we left our carry on luggage. Outside of the arrival hall I asked the guy in charge at the taxi stand for a English speaking driver, that was available within a couple of minutes. I told the taxi driver we got to be back at the airport in 7 hours for my connection flight and we would like him to shows us around the city but to start off I told him that I would like him to take us to the old jewish cemetery where Rabbi Naftali Katz, author of the Sefer Smichas Chachamim is buried. He knew exactly where it was. At cemetery they asked us for ID and asked us to empty our pockets, and was told that taking pictures is forbidden (no idea why). From there we went to Cevahir Mall that is one of the largest malls in Europe. At the mall they where many nice shops and some fun attractions, like a roller coaster that rolls down through the balconys of the first few floors. From there we went to the Neve Shalom Synagogue. We were not permitted to go inside. Police told is that since the 2003 bombing you need to reserve in advance to go inside. From there we stopped for some pictures at the Blue Mosque and headed back to the airport. Seven hours is a very short time to cover the city but you should be able to see most of it in a few days.
 

because the cemetery is next to a army base, but I managed to take a few pictures (was there in Apr.)

just for the information -  if anyone need it - there are toilets at the cemetery, also cold drinking water for free & the opening hours are 9 - 5

how much did you pay for the taxi for the whole trip?



Offline Feivish

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #86 on: November 26, 2013, 06:43:35 PM »
$100-150 don't remember exactly.

Offline Pupashtetl

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #87 on: March 26, 2014, 04:23:06 PM »
Could someone please tell me directions to the Smichas Chachomims grave, how is the cemetery called, and how much a taxi would be?
Please hurry, I'm leaving in a few hours.
Thanks.

Offline isaacs

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #88 on: May 14, 2014, 12:01:52 PM »
i will have a stop at Istanbul for 6 hour on my way from tlv-NY, whats my best options for 6 hour stop?
Thank You

Offline jedderai

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #89 on: July 01, 2015, 11:26:22 PM »
Trip Report:
Used Turkish Airlines from JFK-->IST.
ISTANBUL
Stayed at the Park Hyatt.  Great hotel! The service here was unbelievable, and the room was great.  My room had its own steam room which was really nice.  In addition, its location is great.  It is actually a block away from the St. Regis in the Nisantasi area where all the luxury stores are located.  There are also many nice cafes in the area to have a coffee.  The only drawback was that to go to a different neighborhood you might run into a lot of traffic.  However, in Istanbul the chances of you not experiencing traffic is not too high.

I have been to thailand and truly believe that Istanbul (along with other Turkish cities) is an amazing and better place to buy a new wardrobe.  The clothes will be better quality (leather, cotton, linen, and any other fabric will be better quality).  The fake brand name items are also much better quality IMHO.

During my time in Istanbul my activities included:
  • Grand Bazaar
  • Walk around Nisantasi area
  • Taksim Area (there are hidden passageways with amazing clothing shops for dirt cheap
  • Bebek area by the Bosphorus (had an amazing park that my 15 month old enjoyed with views of the Bosphorus
  • Istinye Park (great huge mall)
  • Sultanahmet area
  • Ortakoy Area (nice street shops and cafes with amazing views)
  • Askim Cafe (not kosher, but worth going to go get a beer and enjoy the view)

Bodrum (One Hr Flight)
Flying within turkey is pretty cheap and can cost you as low as 20 dollars.
Bodrum is an amazing "beach town" with breathtaking views on the coast of Turkey between the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean.
Stayed at the JW Marriott, which opened a month ago and was able to get amazing value.  The nightly rates go for 450 euro for a room with sea view and balcony.  Luckily, it is only a category 3 hotel and I was able to get amazing value from signing up my wife and I for the Marriott premiere card which gives you a free night upon approval along with a 70k bonus. However, I used chase points since I got the card a little too late to get use of the miles from the card.

The hotel was amazing and staff were very accommodating.  They have a kids park and house by the pool along with a kiddie pool which was really nice to have. It was also in a great area near the Yalikavak marina which has the most amazing yachts lined up one after another by the dock.  It also has a mini waterpark and other attractions for kids. 

About 30 minutes from the hotel is the old city of Bodrum, which is a great place to bargain and buy good quality clothes and other goods at the street markets.

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #90 on: October 15, 2015, 04:04:23 PM »
Kosher breakfast at Park Hyat IST?
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline MosheP

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #91 on: December 26, 2015, 11:15:27 PM »
Safe to trave to Turkey now?

I'd like to visit Istanbul and Izmir.

 Any recommendations for a Jewish driver/guide?

Offline Tom Brady

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #92 on: December 27, 2015, 12:05:00 AM »
Safe to trave to Turkey now?

I'd like to visit Istanbul and Izmir.

 Any recommendations for a Jewish driver/guide?

I was in Istanbul for a day a few weeks ago. I walked several miles around the city and passed by several thousand people on the street over the course of several hours, all while wearing a Yarmulka openly. Everyone was very friendly and I encountered zero problems. I'll admit that I felt like most of the people on the street didn't notice my Yarmulka and if they did, they probably wouldn't have known that it meant that I was Jewish but the overall feel that I got from the city was that the streets and people felt very friendly and safe.

Either way from what I understand the main danger in a place like Turkey all along hasn't been random people starting up with you on the street, but rather the problem has been that occasionally there are terrorist attacks. Occasionally terrorist attacks target government buildings and occasionally they  target people on the street indiscriminately. In either case every non terrorist Turk and tourist in Turkey is just as scared of these attacks happening as you are. You can check what the U.S. Department of State has to say about the likelihood of such attacks over here http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/turkey.html and decide for yourself if you want to risk it. Personally, I don't feel like it's much of a risk, so I am happy to risk it. I don't know the statistics, but I wouldn't be surprised if the risk I take walking around  Yerushalayim every day, is greater than the risk of walking around Istanbul.

I don't have any recommendations for a driver or a guide, but I highly recommend walking around Istanbul on foot at some point,  as my friend and I had a great time doing it.

Offline macbook

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Re: Day stop in Istanbul
« Reply #93 on: December 27, 2015, 06:08:54 PM »
The complimentary hotel is probably the airport hotel, with one entrance before, and one after customs.
Usually only free when flying First.

Stop with this hyatt, just visit the place.
After the swine flu, its the Hyatt syndrome people got here.
The idea is to enjoy more the place you go to then your room, unless you are in a 7* hotel in the middle of the desert.
+1

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #94 on: December 30, 2015, 02:10:47 AM »
Unfortunately badly documented, but it is possible to visit for cheap Istanbul and go shopping for the day, even when landing in SAW.
Taxi will cost a lot, and public transportation is a terrible hassle with many stops.

Go to arrivals in SAW AMS look for full size coaches called Havataş which will bring you to Taksim (Istanbul).
From Taksim you either switch to another coach to IST or take public transportation or taxi to Grand Bazaar (Beyazit, next to the university) for shopping, or to Sultanamet Blue Mosque for the touristic sites.

One would need at least 10h stop to do the above, but I'd advice much longer, as traffic varies between crazy and insane in this city spanning two continents and 15 million inhabitants with 2 million cars.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2015, 05:14:26 AM by SuperFlyer »

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #95 on: December 30, 2015, 02:12:56 AM »
If travel savvy you could download an app for both IOS and Android called Trafi which has powerful searches for public transportation.

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #96 on: December 30, 2015, 05:15:46 AM »

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: Turkey Master Thread
« Reply #97 on: December 30, 2015, 05:24:32 AM »
An overnight stay very close to the Taksim bus hub, is possible by the very decent best western affiliated hotel:



Found and booked via www.booking.com

Offline ChAiM'l

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Re: Where Are You Posting From Now?
« Reply #98 on: January 05, 2016, 07:40:20 AM »
Kever of Rav Naftoli Hakohen Katz author of the Smichas Chachomim
TR please?

Offline MosheP

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Re: Re: Where Are You Posting From Now?
« Reply #99 on: January 05, 2016, 08:45:43 AM »
TR please?
I flew into Istanbul this morning.  I had a driver waiting to go straight to the Kever.  It's clearly marked when you enter the cemetery.  Being the tzaddiks yurtzeit I was surprised to have the Kever all to myself.  I stayed for about an hour saying tehilim and davening.  Then I raced to the SAW airport also in  Istanbul for a flight  to Izmer. 

In Izmer I hope to get to the Kever of Reb Chaim Palagi still before night.  I'll update when I land in Izmer.  Taking off from SAW now.

One amazing feeling was thinking that at this same place the Baal Shem,  Reb Nachman and the Ohr Chaim were all mispalel.
TR please?