Ministry of Tourism under fire over video promoting a 'happy' İstanbul
Click to read the article in Turkish
The Ministry of Tourism and Culture has once again faced a social media backlash over a promotional video for foreign tourists.
The video shows models visiting tourist attractions, walking around the streets, eating street food, having fun with locals, feeding seagulls with bagels while crossing the Bosphorus on a ferry and going to a luxurious restaurant with a Bosphorus view while dancing all the way.
Türkiye Turizm Tanıtım ve Geliştirme Ajansının yeni filmi: “İstanbul” pic.twitter.com/ncoSMD4Shq
— T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı (@TCKulturTurizm) July 26, 2021
The image of İstanbul that the ministry tried to portray was mocked and criticized by social media users from different points of view. Some said the video resembled "the old Turkey" when the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was not in power.
"It's a great promotion. It brought the nostalgia of the old Turkey. However, I hope this won't be aired on Turkish TVs. RTÜK [Radio and Television Supreme Council] imposes penalties for such images."
"I wanted to leave Turkey and go to Turkey."
"The night guard handcuffing people is missing in the video."
In this ad istanbul is an empty playground for chic tourists and locals only appear to serve them. Is that the image of we want to cultivate of our amazing city? https://t.co/fapUFwNKSd
— nesi altaras (@nesialtaras) July 27, 2021
"The ministry prepares a video that does not contain its own mentality and İstanbul becomes beautiful for a moment."
"Why don't we have our people there? Why isn't there a single woman with a headscarf? Nothing is good except the music."
"They hide the AKP people when they show İstanbul to foreigners."
this video is literally the trailer of “A Turkey without Erdogan regime” but it’s actually the introduction video by Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency called: “Istanbul” ughhh https://t.co/3JRWEnfSV4
— pivaz ⁺ nan (@payizanli) July 27, 2021
reporting for false advertising https://t.co/qqxWpfXHbD
— didi (@didifyy) July 27, 2021
This wasn't the first time that the Ministry of Tourism came under fire on social media over a video prepared for tourists. On May 13, when the government was preparing to lift the strict lockdown measures, the ministry released a video on Twitter, promoting the measures it has taken to protect tourists from Covid-19.
In the video, all tourism personnel are said to be vaccinated and are seen wearing masks that read "Enjoy, I'm vaccinated," which caused outrage among people as the country was having a vaccine shortage at the time.
The ministry later had to delete the video. (AÖ/VK)