On the morning of January 2, 2026, several direct flights from Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou arrived at Istanbul Airport. With Türkiye’s visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports taking effect on the same day, the first group of Chinese tourists entered the country smoothly under the new rule.

“It is an honor to be among the first Chinese tourists to visit Türkiye after the visa-free policy took effect. Entering directly with our passports is incredibly convenient,” said Han Xiumei, a travel professional with over a decade of experience organizing trips to Türkiye. She led a tour group of more than 20 people who arrived in Istanbul on the very first day the policy took effect. Expressing strong optimism about the policy, she said that it would lead to busier days ahead.

Song Sijia, who is studying in Europe, arrived at Istanbul Airport in the early hours of the same day to join friends for a visit in Türkiye. “We didn’t plan the trip in advance. As soon as we saw the visa-free policy announced, we immediately bought tickets to experience it for ourselves,” she said. Arriving just as the policy came into effect, she felt a bit anxious at first, but the entry process was smooth, leaving her with a genuine appreciation for the rising “value” of the Chinese passport.

Liu Ying, a wool trader, landed at Istanbul Airport with her colleagues and waited for her Turkish business partner to meet them. “I have been working with Turkish counterparts for more than a decade, traveling here three or four times a year,” Liu said. She added that the visa-free policy would greatly facilitate her business and help further strengthen trade relations with local partners.

On the same day, China Southern Airlines’ Istanbul office held a special event at the airport to welcome Chinese tourists arriving on the first day of visa-free entry, and presented commemorative gifts to lucky passengers. General Manager Xu Jiafeng explained that, to accommodate the potential increase in passenger flow following the visa-free policy, China Southern Airlines plans to increase the frequency of its direct flights from Guangzhou, Beijing, and Urumqi to Istanbul starting this March. By then, the total number of weekly flights is expected to reach 17, further expanding the “Air Silk Road” between China and Türkiye.