Turkish Airlines (Türk Hava Yolları – THY)

Overview

THY is the flag carrier airline of the republic of Turkey, and one of the biggest airlines in the world. Half of the company is owned by the state. THY’s key people have very close ties to the AKP government, and a number of them went to school with Bilal Erdoğan, the president’s son.

THY flies to 122 countries, more than any other airline. Despite being the largest carrier in the world by number of destinations, THY announced an overall record loss of 1.9 billion Turkish Liras ($644.4 million) for the first half of 2016.

THY is a major sponsor of sports clubs, famous people, films and TV shows.

Turkish Technic is THY’s maintenance, repair and overhaul centre. Turkish Technic repairs aircraft and components for the Turkish military.

In the 1990s, as Turkey burned down Kurdish villages, people called for action against THY. In 1993, a THY office in Bonn was firebombed and an office in London was targeted. In 2015, as Turkey was obliterating Kurdish towns in Bakur, activists blockaded THY’s ticket office and check-in counter at Venice Airport. Demonstrations have also been held at Heathrow.

In 2016, Turkish Airlines fired 211 employees over supposed links to Fethullah Gulen.

Turkish Airlines is rapidly expanding in Africa, and the continent is of growing economic importance to the Ankara government. Erdoğan’s interest in Africa is partly to crush the Gülen movement, which has been strong there.

Key people and their connections to the AKP government

Mehmet İlker Aycı: Aycı is Chairman of the Board of Turkish Airlines. He took the role of Chairman in 2015, after the AK Parti purged key people in the company and put their friends in top positions.

Last year President Erdoğan gave a speech, and was a witness, at Aycı’s wedding.

Aycı served as an advisor to Erdoğan back in 1994, when the president was Mayor of Istanbul. In 2011, Aycı once more answered directly to Erdoğan when he became head of the government agency ISPAT. The agency promotes investment in Turkey in industries such as arms manufacturing, tourism and mining.

Aycı has been the President of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), an umbrella organisation of over 170 investment promotion agencies from 130 countries. Today, Aycı is also the President of the Audit Board of the Turkish Football Federation, which is sponsored by Turkish Airlines.

Bilal Ekşi is Deputy Chairman and CEO of Turkish Airlines. He joined the company in 2003, leaving in 2011 to work for the government’s Civil Aviation agency. He rejoined Turkish Airlines in 2016.

İsmail Cenk Dilberoğlu is a Member of the Board of Turkish Airlines. Bilal Erdoğan, Tayyip’s son, stated in a speech that “İsmail Cenk Dilberoğlu is the second person I meet the most after my wife.”

Dilberoğlu went to high school with Bilal Erdoğan. He was placed on the THY Board in 2015 after the AK Parti gave key Turkish Airlines roles to their friends.

In 2009 he was elected as AKP councillor for Ataşehir in local elections.

Dilberoğlu is the chairman of the board of directors of the Ensar Foundation, an Islamic educational charity with close ties to the AKP. After the coup attempt in 2016, many of the schools affiliated with Fethullah Gulen were handed over to the Ensar Foundation, as well as the Turkish Youth & Education Service Foundation (TÜRGEV). In 2016, it came to light that a teacher at Ensar Foundation allegedly sexually abused 45 boys. The abuse was under-reported due to media censorship. Also in 2016, an Ensar Foundation teacher was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexual abusing teenage girls.

Dilberoğlu was Chairman of the AKP’s youth branches in 2001. He was an AKP provincial Councillor in Uskudar in 2004 and in Ataşehir in 2009. In 2018, he was rumoured to have made an application to be a parliamentary candidate for the AKP.

Arzu Akalın, who is one of President Erdoğan’s lawyers, is on board of directors of THY. She is president of TÜRGEV, which teaches more than 10,000 female students. Its dormitories are located all over Turkey, as well as in the US and the UK. Erdoğan was an instrumental supporter of the setting up of TÜRGEV. In 2016 the president said he has always supported the foundation and will continue to do so. After the so-called failed coup attempt in 2016, many of the schools affiliated with Fethullah Gulen were handed over to TÜRGEV and sister-foundation Ensar Foundation. Erdoğan’s son Bilal is the executive director of TÜRGEV. and Esra Albayrak, daughter of Erdoğan, is on the board.

Bilal Ekşi is Deputy Chairman and CEO of Turkish Airlines. He joined the company in 2003, leaving in 2011 to work for the government’s Civil Aviation agency. He rejoined Turkish Airlines in 2016.

The revolving door between Turkish Airlines and the arms industry

Former Turkish Airlines CEO, Temel Kotil, left the company in 2016 to become President and CEO of the major arms company Turkish Aerospace Industries.

Turkish Technic

Turkish Technic is the maintenance centre of Turkish Airlines. Its work includes repairing aircraft and components for the Turkish military.

In 2016 Turkish Technic signed a five-year contract to provide logistic support services, planned maintenance and repairs for six Turkish Air Force Command Control aircraft.”

In 2015 Turkish Technic signed a contract with arms company Airbus in developing its capability to provide long-term maintenance services initially for the A400M fleet of the Turkish Air Force.”

In December 2018, Turkish Technic signed a long-term contract with British arms/aerospace company Meggitt to provide the Turkish company with spares and maintenance parts.

Sport sponsorships

THY is a leading sponsor of sports. It has sponsored the Turkish Football Federation and the Turkish National Team since 2008. It has also sponsored Beşiktaş football club for a number of years, and is the transportation sponsor of both Galatasaray and Trabzonspor.

THY has signed a sponsorship deal with Italy’s basketball league, Lega Basket Serie A, making it an official partner of the 2018-2019 season.

THY has sponsored a number of famous sports stars, including Lionel Messi, who has acted as the company’s global brand ambassador. A 2013 THY advert starring Messi was the most watched advert on YouTube in the year of its release.

In 2018 THY signed a deal with CNN, sponsoring the American channel’s TV show Quest’s World of Wonder, ensuring the Turkish Airlines billboards appear in every show.

Dictator Recep Tayipp Erdoğan photographed with Turkish Airlines board

Take action

  • Don’t fly with Turkish Airlines, and don’t holiday in Turkey
  • Protest outside Turkish Airlines offices
  • Pressure websites and travel agencies not to sell Turkish Airlines tickets. Protest outside their offices if they refuse to drop THY.
  • Don’t let Turkish Airlines promote its brand through sponsorship. Campaign to persuade sports teams, celebrities and TV channels to drop their sponsorship deals with Turkish Airlines.

Erdoğan at Mehmet Ilker Aycı’s wedding.Aycı is Chairman of the Board of Turkish Airlines.
Arzu Akalın who is one of President Erdoğan’s lawyers, is on board of directors of THY. She is also president of the Turkish Youth & Education Service Foundation (TÜRGEV). Erdoğan is pictured above speaking at a TÜRGEV event.
Erdoğan is also close to the Ensar Foundation, which İsmail Cenk Dilberoğlu of THY chairs