Rumi's city chosen as Islamic Capital of Tourism

The events that will take place in Konya, the Anatolian city which was previously announced as the "Islamic Capital of Tourism" for 2016 by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), were introduced to public.

Speaking at the press conference, Konya Governor Muammer Erol said that being named the Islamic Capital of Tourism is the start of good things to come in Konya and offered information about the activities that will be organized throughout the year. He said that all organizations and events will be undertaken and hosted by the Konya Tourism Promotion and Education Foundation (KOTEV), adding, "KOTEV undertaking all the events will make everything easy for us." He told the press and the other participants of the meeting that "Good things are happening in Konya and good things are surely auspicious," before thanking everybody who supports Konya.

However, Erol also said that they need the support of everybody to fulfill all the events and organizations within the scope of "Islamic Capital of Tourism." He stated, "Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu protected all the work we have done for this organization. Moreover, the Culture and Tourism Ministry as well as Deputy Prime Minister Lütfü Elvan, who is responsible for the Promotion Fund, are also supporting all the activities. The Director General of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), Musa Kulaklıkaya, is also committed to the organizations in Konya on behalf of the OIC. We are aware of this opportunity for Konya and dedicating ourselves to produce good things that we can all be proud of. I believe this is a golden opportunity for Konya and we - all Konya locals - should do our best to make use of this opportunity."

Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Akyürek underscored Konya is representing Turkey via international organizations and said that being chosen as the Islamic Capital of Tourism will serve the city well. "Jerusalem was the Islamic Capital of Tourism in 2015 and we will hand over the torch to Medina next year. We are now taking over an honorable responsibility and an organization. It is a great thing taking over this responsibility from Jerusalem and handing over it to Medina; this is the sign that Jerusalem, Konya and Medina are sister cities and equals. Kulaklıkaya, the Director General of SESRIC, emphasized the importance of the international promotion of the events and organizations that will take place in Konya. Following the speeches, the head of the Konya Culture and Tourism Directorate made a presentation offering information about the events that will be organized as a part of "Konya: Islamic The Capital of Tourism."