“Turkaegean”: Turkey “Borrows” the Aegean in Tourism Campaign

Turkey is using the term “Turkaegean” or “Turkish Aegean,” in highlighting ancient Greek monuments and archaeological sites in its new tourism campaign for Summer 2022.

The west coast of Turkey, which includes Izmir, Ephesus, Ayvalik, Pergamon and many well-known historical sites with a rich Greek history, is one of the seven major regions of the country.

In its campaign, Turkey says that the “Aegean Region of Türkiye offers you beautiful landscapes, dazzling coastlines, immaculate beaches, pine woods and olive groves; perfect for nature lovers, photographers, history buffs and adrenaline junkies. Many popular holiday villages and fishing harbors are scattered up and down the coast.”

“Turkaegean” is used in several languages in Turkey’s tourism campaign

Until today, its predominant name was the “Aegean Region.” However, the term “Turkaegean” is now used in English while “Turkiye Egéene” is used in French and, in German, “Türkische Ägäis” is used. These all mean “Turkish Aegean.”

Most experts believe that the name of the Aegean archipelago derives from the ancient Greek word αἶγες, meaning waves.

According to Greek mythology, the Aegean Sea owes its name to the King of Athens, Aigeas (Aegeas). King Minos ‘Minoas’ of Crete—in order to punish the Athenians who had killed his son, Androgeo—declared war on Athens and was victorious.

See the campaign of Turkey with Greek antiquities, seafood, and bouzouki called “Turkaegean: Coast of Happiness”:

The Aegean is the birthplace of Ancient Greek civilization

The Aegean Sea has been historically important, especially in regard to the civilization of Ancient Greece, which inhabited the area around the coast of the Aegean and the Aegean islands.

The Aegean islands facilitated contact between the people of the area and between Europe and Asia. Along with the Greeks, Thracians lived on the northern coast.

The Romans conquered the area under the Roman Empire, and later, the Byzantine Empire held it against advances by the First Bulgarian Empire. The Fourth Crusade weakened Byzantine control of the area, and it was eventually conquered by the Ottoman Empire with the exception of Crete, which was a Venetian colony until 1669.

The Greek War of Independence allowed a Greek state on the coast of the Aegean from 1829 onwards. The Ottoman Empire held a presence over the sea for over 500 years until it was replaced by modern Turkey.