•David

Professor Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş is facing a big challenge.

Failed coup, terrorist attacks, US State Department travel warning and canceled cruise-ship port calls have taken a big toll on Turkish tourism.

The Turkish military faces threats from both IS and the militant Kurdistan Workers Party, and tourists are sometimes caught in the crossfire. According to the BBC:

"Tourists are not a target for Kurdish militants but they are for IS, which targeted Istanbul airport last June because it has become one of Europe's busiest transport hubs, attracting almost 42 million passengers in 2015."

Despite all that, Professor Kurtulmuş says that in June 2017 international visits were up 36% yoy.