Turkey tourism revives since freedom from ISIL

A Turkish military base is a designated ‘active military zone’ but from next year it will be an open-air museum.

Turkey’s government is encouraging tourists to visit an ancient city which was controlled by fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group, not so long ago.

The ancient city of Karkamesh straddles the Turkey-Syria border.

The extensive ruins on the Syrian side of the border were recently in the hands of ISIL but now the ancient city is set to open to visitors, all part of a drive by the Turkish authorities to encourage tourism back to southeastern Anatolia.

 

Al Jazeera’s Neave Barker reports from Karkamesh.