Turkey celebrates Mother's Day


Turkey's sons and daughters join millions to celebrate Mother's Day this Sunday. Televisions are awash with ads emphasizing the sacrifices mothers make for their children, the best to gifts to give and restaurants offering Mother's Day breakfasts or brunches for those who, apparently, only take their mothers out once a year.

A company based in Istanbul is offering a different gift:

A helicopter tour of the city. Six participants following the company's social media accounts will win free rides for their mothers.

A charity and a textile company meanwhile, have joined forces to donate proceeds from Mother's Day gifts sold by the company to a charity for children.

Local municipalities will also hold events to celebrate the day.

Probably most special moment of the day is giving a thoughtful gift. A survey by a popular Turkish e-commerce website shows only one out of two people do not wait until Mother's Day to purchase a gift for her.

Mothers, on the other hand, say they only expect to be remembered on their day. Twenty-two percent of interviewed mothers say they do not expect their children to give them presents.

When it comes to choosing the right gift, the majority say they knew what their mothers would need or want, while the rest admit putting off choosing a gift until the last minute. The survey shows 33 percent of shoppers prefer giving clothes as gift on Mother's Day, while 20 percent pick flowers.