New collaboration between BTA and master chef Ömür Akkor

The restaurant, which will be located in the international terminal of Antalya Airport for the first time, will serve in an area of ​​1,350 square meters under the name “Taste of Anatolia By Ömür Akkor”. The restaurant, which will present the rich heritage of Anatolian cuisine with a modern interpretation, aims to bring this culture to the masses and keep it alive.

Offering its guests rich menu options of Turkish and world cuisines at over 200 locations in 16 airports in 8 countries as a subsidiary of TAV Airports, BTA is taking its ongoing collaboration with Chef Ömür Akkor to a new dimension at the a la carte service point of the Tadında Anadolu restaurant at Istanbul Airport. In this new dimension of the collaboration, BTA is launching the “Taste of Anatolia by Ömür Akkor” brand, which will be available for the first time at Antalya Airport and where the master chef will lead all restaurant units.

The restaurant, which will provide service in an area of ​​1,350 square meters in the international terminal of Antalya Airport, will present centuries-old recipes of Anatolia in an authentic way. The restaurant, which serves the purposes of keeping alive and promoting Anatolian food culture, supporting local producers, and adopting a sustainability approach in the kitchen, will feature traditional flavors selected from all around Anatolia, local ingredients, products with geographical indications, and special recipes of famous chef Ömür Akkor.

“We are taking on a kind of cultural ambassador role”

BTA Chief Executive Officer Baha Bülbül said that the food and beverage services offered at airports are not limited to meeting the needs of passengers, but also play a very important role in reflecting the local culture, and added, “Since its establishment, BTA has assumed responsibility for keeping our country's cultural heritage alive and transferring this heritage to the world.”

“With this sense of responsibility, we aim to spread businesses that keep the Anatolian gastronomy culture alive within airports. With the projects we implement, we aim to keep the unique flavors of Anatolia alive and carry forgotten recipes to the future. We are undertaking the duty of being a cultural ambassador, especially for tourists visiting our country. We will initially open this restaurant at Antalya Airport and then move it to our other airports.”

“Ömür Akkor is a very important chef who introduces traditional Turkish cuisine and the rich gastronomic heritage of Anatolia on international platforms. We have been working together since 2021. We will now take this successful collaboration even further. While offering Akkor’s recipes to our guests, we will also create market sections where they can buy the products used in these recipes that we supply from all over Anatolia.”

Ömür Akkor said, “For nearly 30 years, I have been trying to tell the story of Anatolia and trace the flavors of Anatolia by traveling every inch of Anatolia, participating in excavations, reading, listening, writing and personally entering the kitchen. We have a common mission with BTA in terms of keeping our culture alive. We have full faith that Anatolian cuisine, which has not yet received the attention it deserves worldwide, will be better perceived with this collaboration that we have taken one step further and that our efforts will positively affect Turkey’s gastronomic image.”

BTA's Antalya Airport operations, which will start with a team of 651 people in the 2025 season, will create employment for 871 people as of 2027. In this process, operational power will be increased and the economic added value provided in the region will be expanded.

BTA will initially start service at Antalya Airport with 29 businesses, including existing brands such as Cakes&Bakes, Enzo, Brewmark, Taste of Anatolia, as well as concepts such as Flute, Sherefe, Mangia, Sweet Treats, which were created specifically for Antalya. These businesses will offer the best food and beverage experience to domestic and international passengers, from fast and practical options to premium experiences. Catering services will also be provided in three lounge areas (Premium, Elite and Arrival Lounge).