09.02.2026 14:51
The criticism of airplane ticket prices by DEVA Party Deputy Chairman and Mersin MP Mehmet Emin Ekmen has made headlines in the country. Ekmen highlighted the exorbitant ticket prices for domestic flights with striking examples, stating, "A flight from Batman to Ankara is more expensive than one from London."
DEVA Party Deputy Chairman and Mersin Member of Parliament Mehmet Emin Ekmen criticized the fact that direct flights from Batman to Istanbul are more expensive than flights with European connections. Ekmen’s criticism of airline ticket prices has become a major topic on the national agenda.
“HOW CAN THIS BE CALCULATED?”
Ekmen revealed a striking picture by sharing ticket prices on his social media account. Presenting flight data dated February 2, Ekmen said:
“While you have to pay 4,769 TL to fly directly from Batman to Sabiha Gökçen Airport, you pay 2,938 TL if you travel to Munich with a connection on the same plane, and 3,372 TL if you fly to London. If you buy a London ticket and get off the plane in Istanbul, you are 2,000 TL better off. How can this be calculated?”
Stating that a similar situation is experienced on flights from Diyarbakir, Ekmen described the fact that a Hamburg ticket is cheaper than an Istanbul ticket as “punishing the public.”
“THOSE WITH FUNERALS OR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES ARE BEING VICTIMIZED”
Recalling that the pricing policy is based on the logic that “prices increase as the plane fills up,” Ekmen argued that this situation victimizes the Eastern and Southeastern provinces, where flights are almost always full.
Pointing out that last-minute tickets are usually needed by citizens who have a patient or a funeral, Ekmen said:
“High pricing policies hit exactly the group that should be supported. It is unacceptable for a connecting Batman–Istanbul ticket to reach 12,000 TL.”
HE ADDRESSED AUTHORITIES AND AIRLINE CEOS
Addressing President Erdogan, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu, and Competition Authority Chairman Birol Küle, Ekmen argued that the pricing policy in provinces served by a single airline is contrary to competition law.
Making an open call to airline CEOs as well, Ekmen stated that the public should be transparently informed about how many seats are sold at which prices.
“THERE IS NO RATIONAL EXPLANATION FOR THIS OPPRESSION”
Noting that he has raised the issue many times during parliamentary budget negotiations but that no concrete regulation has yet been introduced, Ekmen concluded his remarks by saying:
“There is no rational explanation for this oppression.”