President Erdoğan says gov’t reviewing 10-day extension of Eid al-Adha holiday

ISTANBUL/ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Aug. 11 that the government was reviewing the 10-day extension of the upcoming Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), adding that such an extension would be “felicitous” for tourism.

Separately, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said the government would make its final decision on whether to extend the public holiday after the cabinet meeting on Aug. 15.

“We will evaluate this issue at the cabinet meeting chaired by our president and a decision will emerge from there,” Yıldırım said on Aug. 11 speaking to reporters after Friday prayers in the capital Ankara.

Aug. 31, a Thursday, will be the eve of Eid al-Adha, which is currently set to continue for the next four days. Turkey also marks the public holiday of Victory Day on Aug. 30. 

Hoteliers have been pushing for the extension of the public holiday Eid al-Adha to 10 days in order to help the country’s struggling tourism sector while industrialists and exporters do not want such an extension due to the negative impact that the loss of these days would have on the country’s production and export figures.