Talking Turkiye - choosing a quality hotel in Istanbul: go modest and save

Visiting any of the world’s major cities can be quite a task, especially when making your own bookings and arrangements, roving correspondent Roderick Eime reports.

So, when travelling pal Bill and I planned a few days sightseeing in Istanbul, we wanted to cover as much territory as possible while still being frugal, as we still had a couple of cities to go on our little European odyssey.

Ortaköy Mosque and 15 July Martyrs Bridge seen from Üsküdar (RE)

Our first mistake: three days is too short a time for a city as vast and culturally rich as Istanbul.

Our best choice - and I’m happy to take credit for this - was staying at the Akgün Istanbul Hotel at Topkapi, although in honesty, it was a recommendation from an industry colleague with considerably more hotel experience than I have in this region.

From our base, just a couple of metro stops from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town with all its well-known sites, we were able to complete a satisfying coverage of the city using the comprehensive public transport system, supplemented by the occasional Uber/taxi.

Istiklal Caddesi - Independence Avenue (RE)

Our tick list of sights included a public ferry cruise on the Bosporus, an examination of the old Walls of Constantinople (literally around the corner from our hotel), the mandatory Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, as well as the signature shopping district at Taksim on the Asian side. 

We even sacrificed a day for a full-day excursion to Gallipoli.

Preserved section of The Theodosian Walls near Topkapi, Istanbul (RE)

While the Akgün Istanbul Hotel is billed as a 5-star hotel, it may not meet 5-star standards elsewhere in Europe, but that did not bother us at all. 

The rooms were more than adequate with quality bedding, and our most useful feature was the copious breakfast that sustained us throughout the day. We were most appreciative of the attentive staff at all levels. 

While we were exhausted after our 20,000-step days, we still had time for a crisp lager on the excellent rooftop bar with views all the way to the Blue Mosque. And, apart from all that, room rates were less than $200 per night, leaving us lots of change to blow in the Grand Bazaar.

Akgün Istanbul Hotel (supplied)

Sometimes it pays to set aside your precious poseur persona and embrace your practical, pragmatic self.

Akgün Istanbul Hotel provides services including restaurants, bars, Starbucks café, sauna, Turkish bath, Finnish bath (steam bath), gym, spa, massage, 24/7 room service, business centre, indoor-outdoor parking, valet service, baby care, laundry services, outdoor pool, male/female hairdresser, photo lab and pharmacy.

The Akgün Istanbul Hotel is a member of WorldHotels™ Elite collection, a part of the global Best Western Hotels. You can book directly or through any major online booking service, such as Luxury Escapes.

Talking Turkiye from a woman’s point of view

If you want to delve into a culture then it pays to take advice from an expert.

World Expeditions will be taking a deep dive into Turkish culture with ‘Wellness, Wine & Wisdom - A Women’s Tour in Turkey with Dilvin Yasa.’

The tour will run from April 22 to May 7, 2025.

The 16-day adventure will combine indulgence in local food and wine, detoxification in traditional Turkish baths (hammams), as will as exploring diverse landscapes on foot and by boat.

Should you wish, you can even learn the art of belly dancing.

The tour will be under the guidance of Dilvin Yasa, a Turkish-Australian journalist, author, and food enthusiast.

Yas travels to Turkiye at least once a year, primarily for culinary exploration.

“If there's one thing I love more than my ancestral homeland of Turkey, it's sharing my top tips on places to go, attractions to see, and dishes to eat with those who have yet to experience the rich tapestry of the country's customs and culture,” she says.

To be able to introduce 'My Turkey' - all those quirky spots I've (literally) spent a lifetime researching - is a dream come true.”

In addition to walking and exploring the region on foot, the group will enjoy spas, and thermal pools, shop for textiles, and enjoy local food and wine.

Highlights of the tour include hot air ballooning in Goreme, private cruises around Kekova Bay and through the gin-clear waters of Kas, as well as quintessential Istanbul experiences including a scenic Bosphorus boat tour and Turkish coffee fortune telling in the winding back streets of old Pera.

Accommodation includes a range of small boutique and traditional hotels.

For bookings or info visit World Expeditions

New horizons for global giant Turkish Airlines

Australians will have a new option for flying to the Middle East and Europe with Turkish Airlines boosting its long-haul route network by adding Melbourne to its schedule. 

The Turkiye flag carrier has scheduled three flights a week from Istanbul to Melbourne from March 15, initially flying via Singapore.

Australia becomes the airline’s 130th country served and its 346th global destination, Travel Mole reports.

Turkish Airlines will, surprisingly, be the only European airline to currently operate flights to and from Melbourne Airport.

“As we bring the Turkish and Australian people closer, we aim to increase bilateral tourism, trade, and business opportunities,” said Prof. Ahmet Bolat, the chairman of Turkish Airlines. 

Melbourne was chosen over Sydney as it is home to Australia’s largest Turkish community.

Turkish Airlines aims to eventually operate non-stop direct flights to Melbourne and other Australian cities with the acquisition of new long-haul aircraft. It has connections to cities across Europe through Istanbul. 

Turkish delight: Plant-based Sydney pleasures

Steakhouses are two a penny. Asian restaurants? In abundance. Seafood specialists? So many.

But plant-based eateries focusing on the cuisine of Turkiye? Not so much.

Not only does renowned chef Somer Sivrioğlu’s eatery Maydanoz have a different food and wine vibe, it also offers excellent, informed service at a central Sydney location - just behind Wynyard station.

Even on a Monday night, Maydanoz (Turkish for parsley) is buzzing with several groups relishing the share plate offering.

It is a venue that is very much on-trend, with many individuals nowadays making efforts to reduce their meat and dairy intake.

I'm a protein man through and through but the flavours and textures on offer at Maydanoz are good enough to turn my head, while my vegetable-loving wife is in her element.

Anyone expecting simple flatbreads, kofte and meaty kebabs will find themselves out of their comfort zone - but in a good way.




The meze-style menu is a collaboration between Sivrioğlu (currently filming MasterChef in Turkiye) and his group executive chef Arman Uz, who is on duty the night we dine.

The menu features many dishes that would be cooked at home, not in restaurants, along the Aegean coast of western Turkiye, Uz tells us.

Guided by an excellent maitre 'd and a charming server, both very well informed about the menu, we sample dishes ranging from festive stone-baked bread with Pepe Saya butter, lentil kofte with lettuce leaf, radish, molasses and pickled chilli (a Turkish san choy bow), and salty and chewy barbecued Tilba haloumi with thyme honey and sesame. 

Lovers of dips will enjoy the whipped feta, pistachios, sweet and sour grapes with basil and dill, while mains included Brussel sprouts with , baba ganoush, pistachio and chilli, along with Imam Bayildi; eggplant, tomato, bullhorn, tamarind and green herbs. 

For those who cannot live without meat or fish, there are but two protein options: kingfish collar kebab with sumac onion, ezme salsa, and chicken with bulgur pilaf, chilli and tomato.



For adventurous drinkers, Australian wines are joined on the list by Turkish wines from the coastline stretching from Gallipoli on the north to Denizli on the south.

Think the likes of easy drinking styles including Isabey Sauvignon Blanc, Majestik Grenache and Kalecik Karasi Rosé, Sevilen Plato Kalecik Karasi, and Centum Syrah, all very reasonably priced by the glass.

There is also a good list of cocktails and beers.



Maydanoz is open for dinner Monday to Saturday from 5pm and lunch from Monday to Friday from noon. It is well worth a visit. 

See https://www.maydanoz.com.au/. (02) 9262 3161 50 Carrington St, Sydney.

# The writer was a guest of Maydanoz 

and apple juice.

Two top eateries are talking Turkiye

A unique taste of Turkiye? 

For one night only, Efendy Group’s executive chef Arman Uz and owner and head chef Coskun Uysal from Melbourne’s Tulum are to join forces for what is billed as "the ultimate Turkish dinner". 

With a share-style menu created by the Tulum team, the collaborative dinner will be held at Maydanoz, in Sydney’s CBD, on October 26.

“We are looking forward to bringing our friends at Tulum to Sydney for a special night at Maydanoz," says Uz. 

"If you’ve been lucky enough to visit Tulum in Melbourne, you’ll have an idea of what is to come. If you’re yet to make it, let this be your incredible introduction."

So he's keen. 

Known for his extensive hospitality experience at restaurants including Jaime Oliver’s Fifteen, Uysal’s culinary expertise is demonstrated at his hatted Turkish restaurant, Tulum, located in the Melbourne suburb of Balaclava. 

Uz, meanwhile, has worked under some of Turkiye’s top chefs, including Efendy Group owner Somer Sivrioglu. Uz oversees the food programmes at Efendy Group restaurants Maydanoz, Anason and the recently-opened Baharat.

The event will kick off with cocktails and canapes before guests are seated and treated to a menu split into three main sections; small plates, larger plates and desserts. 

Highlights from the small plates include: whipped Tulum cheese and Turkish chilli jam, simit with smoked taramasalata, white anchovy and candied orange zest, smoked date butter and cumin and lentil kofta with pickled turnip. This selection of dishes will be accompanied by grilled Turkish pide bread.

Star turns among the larger plates will be raw yellowfin tuna with fried green pepper borani and smoked cherry tomatoes; Icli kofte with lamb and walnut kibbeh and buttermilk and salgam; and kuzu lamb shoulder served with eggplant puree, prune jam and bulgur pilaf.

Wrapping up the evening, dessert will be a spin on a Turkish dish traditionally served to Ottoman sultans in the Topkapı Palace; chicken and milk pudding with lemon thyme ice cream and a sweet caramel mousse.

The collab event follows Maydanoz and Tulum’s long Sunday lunch at Lezzet, Elwood.

Tickets can be purchased at https://www.opentable.com.au/r/maydanoz-sydney for $165 a head. An optional wine pairing will also be available on the night.

See https://www.maydanoz.com.au/

Cruise line pitches in to aid earthquake victims

Here's a good news story from the travel industry with cruise operator the MSC Group and the MSC Foundation pitching in to aid earthquake relief initiatives in Turkiye and Syria.

The MSC Aurelia left Naples on February 16 en route to the port of Iskenderun with 60 pallets of basic medical supplies, warm clothing and blankets, and food and beverages.

After offloading its cargo, the MSC Aurelia will remain docked in port in Türkiye, at the authorities’ disposal, to provide accommodation for those impacted by the earthquake.

MSC is also arranging for the provision of thousands of empty containers for the provinces that have been hit the hardest by the earthquake to accommodate families who have been displaced.

MSC Aurelia is normally used as a passenger and vehicle ferry. It will provide impacted communities with over 1,000 beds and leisure spaces including a restaurant and cinema.

In addition, thanks to the collaboration between the MSC Foundation and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a further 100 containers carrying first aid supplies (including blankets, mattresses, sleeping bags, kitchen sets, jerry cans and lamps will depart from Jordan via Haifa, the headquarters of the UN Refugee Agency’s warehouses.

The containers are destined for Gaziantep and other cities hit hardest by the earthquake and will be at the disposal of the relief workers already onsite caring for survivors.

MSC Türkiye has also set up temporary accommodation at Iskenderun port using empty containers for 300 MSC Group employees and their families who lost their homes in the earthquake.

“We feel a strong sense of obligation to act promptly in order to support the people most in need," said Daniela Picco, executive director of the MSC Foundation.

"We are a part of a global organization that can set in motion a large-scale operation by involving foundations and associations that we collaborate with all around the world.

"As soon as the terrible earthquake in Türkiye and Syria struck, we immediately took action to collect funds, supplies and food, which we can deliver on our ships within a short period of time."

Country changes its name to avoid confusion

Tired of being confused with a bird that people eat at times times of celebration, the nation of Turkey has changed its official name to Turkiye. 

Seriously. 

Political leaders says the new spelling "represents and expresses the culture, civilization and values of the Turkish nation in the best way". 

"Made in Turkiye" will now appear on all of the country's exports and the country's tourism website, GoTurkiye.com, has undergone the rebranding. 

“Type ‘turkey’ into Google, and you will get a muddled collection of images, articles, and dictionary definitions that muddle the nation of Turkey with the large bird famous for being served on Christmas menus or Thanksgiving dinners.

And dictionary definitions of turkey include "something that fails badly" or "a stupid or silly person"

What difference will the change make? In all practical terms, zero. 

Remember Germany is officially called Deutschland, but no one outside German-speaking countries uses that name. Sweden is officially Sverige, but is seldom called that. 

Switzerland is called Suisse, Schweiz, Svizzera or Svizra, depening on which of the national languages you are speaking and Swaziland is now called Eswatini, which makes is even more obscure than before. 

As you were.