Schools resume in Türkiye as post-Eid travel surge grips highways

ISTANBUL

Millions of students across Türkiye returned to classrooms on March 23 as the midterm break concludes, while heavy traffic builds nationwide with travelers making their way back home following the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

One of the most visible signs of the mass return has been Türkiye’s highways. In the key central province of Kırıkkale — often described as a “key junction” connecting 43 provinces — traffic congestion intensified  from midday onwards on the second day of Eid. 

At the intersection of the Kırıkkale-Ankara D200 and the Kırıkkale-Kayseri D765 highways, vehicles were reported to be moving bumper-to-bumper at times, with long queues forming along major routes.

In response, police and gendarmerie units increased inspections and safety measures on intercity roads in line with a directive from the Interior Ministry. 

Authorities conducted frequent checks to ensure safe travel conditions, urging driver to adhere to traffic rules amid the heightened volume.

The holiday period also saw a significant boost in domestic tourism, with southeastern Türkiye emerging as a major draw. The hisotric city of Mardin, known for its rich cultural heritage and distinctive stone architecture, experienced a surge in visitors.

Hotels in the city, which has a capacity of over 22,000 beds across more than 60 establishments, reached occupancy rates of 99 percent.

Tourist hotspots including Cumhuriyet Square, the Mardin Museum, Kasımiye Madrasa and the Deyrulzafaran Monastery recorded high footfall. Local tourism representatives attributed the influx not only to the holiday and school break but also to the growing popularity of the television series “Uzak Şehir,” which has brought renewed attention to the region.

Özgür Azad Gürgör, deputy head of a regional hoteliers association, said demand had been exceptionally strong.

He noted that increased stability in the region and the visibility generated by television productions had contributed to the rising occupancy rates not only in Mardin but also neighboring provinces such as Diyarbakır, Batman and Şanlıurfa. Gürgör also highlighted growing interest from East Asian tourists.

Beyond Türkiye’s borders, thousands of Turkish holidaymakers opted for short getaways to nearby Greek islands, providing an early boost to the tourism saeason there.

Greek media reported that more than 2,000 Turkish visitors traveled to the island of Lesbos alone, with similar activity observed on Samos. Hotels, restaurants and cafes on the islands reported high occupancy and customer traffic.

Last year, approximately 1.4 million Turkish tourists visited Greece, with the recently introduced visa-on-arrival scheme for select islands cited as a key factor behind the increase.