“The warmth of the Turkish soul,” as the evening’s program hosts described it, went on full display on the night Turkish Airlines celebrated its 10th year anniversary in the Philippines at the Bonifacio Hall of Shangri-La at the Fort.

Making everyone feel at home were the hardworking team of TK Philippines, headed by country manager Huzeyfe Akhan.

The tables were filled with Turkish delights — not the famed Turkish Delight, of course, which had already made the rounds along with some chilled refreshments during the cocktail hours.

Aside from the generous platters for sharing, it was the tradition of eating together in the spirit of joy and accomplishment that filled the room with much goodwill.

“It’s so hard to pronounce the food, but we can just call everything delicious,” said hosts Catriona Gray and Nicole Cordoves.

Turkiye’s national carrier has grown greatly since its founding on 20 May 1933 “with five planes and fewer than 30 employees,” as its story goes.

Now, it has the “youngest and most modern fleet in Europe.”

“As we navigate a dynamic global landscape, the Turkish airline industry remains committed to innovation, excellence and providing an exceptional travel experience for our passengers worldwide,” Akhan said.

“Today, Turkish Airlines stands as a global aviation leader and a proud member of Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline network. Turkish Airlines flies to 130 countries from its new home, Istanbul Airport, with a fleet of 492 aircraft,” the airline reports.

“We are proud to be officially certified by Guinness World Records as the airline that flies to more countries than any other airline in the world.” Truly, Turkish Airlines can proudly raise its flag for such a feat.