Due to the harsh policy of the AKP (Turkish Justice and Development Party) towards the May Day demonstrators, the cruise ship Norwegian Spirit with 4 thousand passengers on board was forced to change course “for safety reasons” and headed from Istanbul to Kusadasi.
It has become clear that the AKP government's ban on May Day celebrations in the Taksim Square area, which has been ongoing since last year, coupled with restrictions on transport links with Istanbul, have begun to have a negative impact on tourism development in the region.
The Turkish government's harsh reaction to another May Day demonstration caused a cruise liner to cancel its scheduled arrival in Istanbul and change its route as it approached the port. The huge passenger ship Norwegian Spirit, sailing under the flag of the Bahamas, was scheduled to arrive in Istanbul on May 1 as part of a Mediterranean cruise program. Out of concern for the lives and health of several thousand passengers, the ship's captain decided to cancel the stop in Istanbul and sent the liner to the port of Kusadasi, the next stop on the route after the "city of contrasts." Thus, 4 American tourists and 237 service personnel arrived in Kusadasi a day earlier than planned. The visit to Istanbul was rescheduled for May 2.
Last year, the major cruise company Norwegian Cruise Line, which owns the Norwegian Spirit, made a total of 32 voyages in the Mediterranean and carried 80 passengers, using the port of Izmir as one of its main stops. This year, it was decided to move part of the route to Kusadasi Bay.
According to data provided by Norwegian Cruise Line to the Istanbul Maritime Authority headquarters, the company's two ships are scheduled to make 2014 Mediterranean cruises in 33, with a mandatory call at Kusadasi. If all the voyages take place, the Kusadasi resort will be visited by more than 90 foreign tourists by the end of the year.
