 I
have led a plethora of tours over the
last twenty five years, and I can
honestly say that when it comes to
leading a tour to any one of the Lands
of the Bible there is no one I would
rather work with than Tutku Tours and
its many wonderful guides.
Dr. Ben Witherington, III
Amos Professor of Nt for Doctoral
Studies Asbury Theological Seminary,
Wilmore, Ky Doctoral Faculty St. Mary's
College St. Andrews University, Scotland
 Dear
Levent,
I would like to thank you for your help and
kindness in making my group tour successful.
The whole trip went very well. My group
returned to the states, and, before
returning to the states, they all expressed
their appreciation toward Tuktu Tours.
Zafer was kind, friendly and flexible. I
think his upbringing as a child of Police
Chief has probably contributed to his style
of personality and interpersonal relations.
Our driver was also kind and smiley.
I hope you and your company will continue to
be thriving. I will see you in San Diego in
November.
Blessings,
Kyoshin Ahn
Associate Secretary at North American
Division of Seventh-day Adventists
 Dear
Levent and the entire Tutku staff:
We are safely back in Wisconsin, USA after
our study tour to Malta,
Sicily, and Italy. Once again, Tutku lived
up to its reputation and exceeded it. Thank
you for all the detail work you people did
in making the trip a successful. Thanks also
for the tote bags. They came in handy.
We flew Lufthansa from Chicago and to
Chicago and really liked it. Almost as good
as Turkish Airlines :).
We will all work together to make the
planned January 2019 study tour to Turkey a
complete success. We are already recruiting
for it.
Happy New Year. Continued success in the
operation of your travel business. Tutku
Tours has earned the right to achieve
outstanding success.
Your loyal customer,
Joel L. Pless, Ph.D.
Department Head – Theology
Wisconsin Lutheran College
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
 Hi Levent:
Now that the Turkey portion of our
study tour is over, it is a good time for
me to do two things. First, I want to say
thanks for the fine job that Tutku Tours did
in arranging our tour. Everything went
smoothly in terms of bus, hotel
arrangements, Cenk’s involvement,
etc. I am also thankful for you “going the
extra mile” and arranging the visit to the
cave of Paul and Thecla--that
was an unexpected bonus. I am further
thankful for the very nice evening that
Bernice and I had with both you and
Cenk--the food and your company were both
delightful.
Jeffrey A. D. Weima, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament
Calvin Theological Seminary
 It
has been an absolute delight to work with
Tutku over the past three years, during
which time I have led four pilgrimages to
the Seven Churches, and last year, a new
pilgrimage, ‘from Antalya to Cappadocia’.
From the word ‘go’, Tutku staff have gone
out of their way to be helpful and
efficient. Beautiful brochures (way beyond
what I could do myself!) are produced in a
short time, and new proposals are always
received with enthusiasm. The travel
experience is without match. Tutku’s superb
guides and the back-up team in the office
ensure that everything runs smoothly, from
visiting the sights, to accommodation and
travel arrangements. My pilgrims have been
thrilled with the experiences they have had
on tour with Tutku in Turkey. I have no
hesitation in commending Tutku to anyone
thinking about joining a tour, or leading
one!
The Revd James Buxton, Anglican Chaplain in
Izmir
More than 10 years ago, I began trusting
Tutku Educational Tours to handle the travel
study programs I direct as a professor of
Religion at Furman University. It was one of
the best decisions I made. Over the years,
they have organized many programs for me,
not only to Turkey but also to Greece,
Italy, Israel, and Russia. These programs
have been enriched in so many ways by the
folks at Tutku. They have expertly
customized the programs I design, but they
also make their own suggestions that have
enhanced the quality of my programs. And
they are flexible—able to make changes even
during the program itself if needed. My
Turkish guide, whom I have used for many
years and who has worked for many travel
providers, told me that Tutku is the best
run company she has ever worked for. Most
importantly perhaps, they are kind and
generous people. For them, you are not
merely a client; you become friends with
Levent Oral, the owner and president, and
all his wonderful colleagues—the staff, the
guides, and his family. Getting to know them
has been one of the greatest joys and
blessings of my life.
Dr. Claude Stulting
Associate Professor of Religion
Furman
University
 Hello Erin,
I look forward to seeing you in Chicago. I
am not sure if you have an endorsement from
me, but if not, you may use the following,
if you desire.
I have done nearly thirty tours throughout
the Mediterranean over the last fifteen
years, including a number with Tutku Tours
in Turkey. Without reserve I can testify
that Tutku Tours, owned by operated by
Levent Oral provides first rate service at a
reasonable price, which includes wonderful
accommodations and food. I have never been
disappointed. I heartedly recommend Tutku to
anyone who wants to travel to Turkey to
visit the ancient sites of former Asia Minor
where Paul and John traveled and lived, and
where the early church grew and developed
the Christian doctrines that we hold dear
today.
H. Wayne House, Distinguished Research
Professor of Theology, Law, and Culture,
Faith Evangelical College and Seminary,
Tacoma, WA, USA
I
have led two undergraduate study trips to Turkey
and Greece with Tutku Tours, and each time it
has been a wonderful experience. We always feel
like we receive great value for our money with
Tutku Tours, and participants come home excited
about the experience and ready to return as soon
as possible. Levent Oral and his staff at Tutku
Tours are professionals, who are passionate
about satisfying their clients. They have always
been sensitive to our requests and needs,
matching our groups with knowledgeable and
engaging guides and carefully arranging every
detail of our trips. The lives of our students
have been changed through their experiences in
Greece and Turkey, and that has been possible
because Tutku Tours has taken care of the
details of our trips, and our leaders have been
able to focus on our students and the things we
are studying. I recommend Tutku Tours to anyone
traveling to Greece and Turkey!
W. Edward Glenny, Th.D., Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament and Greek
University of Northwestern--St. Paul
3003 Snelling Ave. N.
St. Paul, MN 55113
O--651-628-3418
eglenny@unwsp.edu
 For two weeks over New Years
2008/2009, I led a group of 20 undergraduate
students on an Archaeological Study Tour of
western Turkey. All the arrangements;
itinerary, accommodation, bus and driver,
national guide, and entrance fees were
arranged with impeccable care by Levent Oral
and his colleagues at Tutku Tours. Their
experience in designing Academic Tours like
this was obvious: the national guide who
accompanied us, Serdar Balin, was not only a
superb interpreter of his country’s past,
but a kind and generous companion for the
students. I have been leading Academic Tours
to Turkey for over 30 years, and this was
easily the most successful. I cannot
recommend a better agent in Turkey than
Tutku Tours.
John W. Humhprey, Ph.D.
Professor of Greek and Roman Studies
University of Calgary, Canada
 As
you know, I led a group of 19 students this
summer. The students are studying health
related issues from various disciplines such
as biochemistry, health sciences, public
health, radiology, speech therapy, and
social work. All site visit arrangements,
assistants, tour guides and bus drivers are
all superb and a main factor for a huge
success of my program. We have been
collaborating for more than three years. I
am lucky to have you and your team as my
on-site partner in Greece. You and your team
are always respectful, responsible and
resourceful. Particularly, as an example, I
am impressed with Teti. While traveling, a
student of mine had a health concern and we
needed to go to a clinic immediately. When I
called Teti for a help, she contacted the
clinic to let them know about our visit and
arranged a taxi after work hours. As such,
you and your team are thoughtful,
professional and easy to work with. I
couldn’t ask any better partner than you and
your team, and look forward to our continued
collaboration.
Sincerely,
M ansoo
Yu, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
Public Health Program
University of Missouri-Columbia
U.S.A.
 In
the old days, I relied on multiple tour
agencies—one in each country (Italy, Greece,
Israel, Turkey, Germany...). But getting to
know Levent Oral and the Tutku staff,
everything changed. I really connected with
their extensive network of scholars and
guides, and quickly made the decision to
switch over. Now Tutku Educational Travel is
the only company I need. They take care of
everything—and do so excellently—leaving me
with more time and energy for our tour
groups as we explore the biblical world.
Dr. Douglas A. Jacoby
IBTM and
Mountain Seminary
www.douglasjacoby.com
|
 Tutku Tours is a world leader in Biblical
and Classical Tours. Its excellent service
combined with affordable prices make it the
agency of choice for colleges, universities,
and seminaries. Its owner Levent Oral uses
personable guides who are experts in the
field. I would highly recommend Tutku Tours
for your next tour to Turkey or to the
eastern Mediterranean.
Mark Wilson, D.Litt. et
Phil., Director, Asia Minor Research Center,
Antalya, Turkey; Associate Professor
Extraordinary of New Testament, Stellenbosch
University
 Dear Levent,
What a wonderful time we had
visiting your beautiful country May 7-28
with
Dr. Mark Wilson and Dilaver Oncu. This was
our first visit to Turkey, and the trip
exceeded our best expectations. Thank you
and the staff at Tutku for making our travel
arrangements. Everything went flawlessly.
Dilaver is an excellent guide. We learned
much from him and he took good care of us
throughout the trip. The drivers were very
professional; Erdugan was especially patient
and helpful. We couldn’t have accomplished
our travel goals without Mark, Dilaver,
Erdugan, and Tamer, and of course Tutku
Tours.
I look forward to travelling
again with Tutku Tours.
Sincerely,
Karen H.
Jobes, Ph.D.
Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor of New
Testament Greek and Exegesis, Wheaton
College
 Tutku
is planning my fourth Biblical tour of
Turkey. I would not consider using any other
agency. Levent, Erin and Sema have been
professional, personal and proficient in
handling all the details in a direct manner,
always putting the needs of my people first.
They are a family, and they treat us like a
family. Special mention for Levent Uzum as
my guide of choice. He truly cares for Tutku
clients.
Darris
McNeely
United Church of God,ia
International Education and Services
Coordinator
After ten years of leading university and
adult trips to Turkey and Greece I began
using Tutku Tours as our agent. This has
been a very positive experience for us, for
Levent Oral and his colleagues have been
very helpful in arranging all aspects of our
travel including itineraries, hotels, site
visits, and guides. Because Tutku has close
contacts with agencies in countries other
than Turkey they have been able to provide
us with a "seamless" experience on our trips
that combine both Turkey and Greece—thus the
convenience of working with just one, rather
than multiple agencies. For a very
reasonable price they have provided us with
quality hotels and they have even arranged
special rooms for meetings and exams. I have
worked with three of their guides and they
are first rate and very knowledgeable on
relevant subjects—modern, ancient, and
biblical. They have consistently interacted
well with group members—whether university
students or adults. Tutku's, and their
guides', extensive experience and multiple
contacts have helped smooth over some
unexpected events—like getting stuck in the
Cilician Gates in a snow storm in January!
In my experience Tutku has always actually
provide more than what was expected—they
consistently "go beyond the call of duty"
and are a pleasure to work with.
Carl Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Hebrew Bible, Bethel
University
Author of the Zondervan
Atlas of the Bible
footstepstours@comcast.net
www.HolyLandPhotos.org
 Dear
Levent,
I simply can't find the words to thank you
all enough for the phenomenal time our Twin
Lakes Church group had in Turkey and Greece,
thanks to you. We are all glad to be safely
home here in California, yet we already miss
your beautiful countries so much.
Not only did our guide in Turkey, Tulu, and
our guide in Greece, Constantine, show
extraordinary familiarity with their subject
matter; they were especially helpful in all
the various crises our group experienced
while traveling abroad.
Tutku Tours will always receive my absolute
highest possible endorsement. The package
you put together for us was an astounding
value, and the memories you helped us create
were priceless.
The word "thanks" just doesn't go far
enough. You have our unending gratitude.
Yours most sincerely,
Rene Schlaepfer
Twin Lakes Church
 "Thanks to Tutku Tours for making our first
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
pilgrimage to Turkey a great success. We
appreciated Tutku staff s' flexibility in
shaping the itinerary within a budget,
producing a beautiful brochure, and handling
logistics and arrangements for our group of
44 (12 students plus lay people, alumni,
librarian, pastors, and friends). Our guide,
Macit Sascade, was outstanding. This trip
truly brought the Bible to life. In addition
to visiting major biblical and
archaeological sites we loved the Whirling
Dervishes in Cappadocia, the Mevlana Sufi
shrine to Rumi in Konya, and a lecture on
Byzantine history in Istanbul, giving a
taste of the richness of Early Christian and
Islamic cultures. The hotels, transportation
(including Turkish Airlines) and food were
all excellent. Head-sets made it possible
for our large group to hear the guide. Thank
you! We will use Tutku again.
Barbara
Rossing, professor of New Testament, The
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Esther Menn,
Professor of Old Testament, The Lutheran
School of Theology at Chicago
 "I
have made numerous trips to the eastern
Mediterranean and my most recent was to
Egypt. Tutku Tours made all of the
arrangements and we could not be happier
with their work. Migo served as our guide,
and he was extremely informative, gracious,
and helpful in all ways. The trip unfolded
seamlessly and efficiently. I offer my
highest compliments to Tutku Tours for such
outstanding work and look forward to working
with them again in the future..
Dale W.
Manor, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus:
Archaeology and Bible
Harding University
Field Director of Tel Beth-Shemesh
Excavations, Israel
 Dear Levent,
Tutku Tours supported the Sinop Regional
Archaeological Project during our summer
2010 field season by providing us with a
large van. It was just what we needed as we
scaled the dizzying Pontic Mountains mapping
ancient Greek and Roman roads. Two years ago
Tutku arranged a tour operator and driver
for our field school as well. Both
experiences have been excellent. We have
been impressed with how well Tutku arranged
everything - getting the vehicle in place on
short notice, and following up on every
detail. We have Tutku Tours to thank for ten
new sites that have been found in the Sinop
highlands, and look forward to working
together for years to come.
Sincerely,
Assoc. Prof. Owen Doonan
Director, Sinop Regional Archaeological
Project Art History Program,
Art Department California State University
Northridge
As you can see from our
letterhead, we have had considerable
personal experience in dealing with tour
operators in many parts of the world, as
well as acting on behalf of those here in
Canada.
We recently had the pleasure of visiting
Turkey and being provided individual tour
services by your company, and in particular,
by Ms. Eser Sedef.
My wife and I can only comment in the
extreme positives as to the manner and
professionalism exhibited by your company,
and in particular, the personal service and
guidance that was provided to us by Ms.
Sedef.
William F. Clark
Canadian Association of Tour Operator
After four month-long trips
with students through Turkey arranged by
Tutku Tours, I am completely sold on Tutku’s
services and recommend them to anyone
planning tours in its region. Tutku’s expert
staff impresses me every year with their
friendliness, professionalism, efficiency,
and especially with their ability to combine
the royal treatment with such an affordable
price. The Ephesus Meeting in particular,
with its opportunities for worship and
learning, has been a highlight along our
travels in May. Tutku’s experience and
attentiveness to each trip’s success has
permitted me as a trip leader to travel with
utter ease and confidence.
Don Westblade
Hillsdale College, Dept. of Religion
 It
is a joy to work with TUTKU Educational
Travel. They demonstrate a high degree of
professionalism and always take great care
of our teams. In planning something as
significant as a group tour to Turkey and
Greece, it is comforting to know that all
the details will be taken care of with
expertise. I heartily recommend their
service.
Dr. Brad Klassen
Professor of Bible Exposition
Director of
ThM Studies
The Master’s Seminary
Sun
Valley, California
 TUTKU
has been our tour agency in Turkiye and
Greece since. 2014, helping us organize 10
pilgrimages "In Search of Paul." Their
attention to detail and their attentiveness
to our needs has been excellent. What is
more, they have always been helpful and
flexible in facilitating the rather unique
program that we created. I would heartily
recommend their services.
Rev. Dr. Don Carlson
LEAD
|
Dear Levent,
We are writing somewhat belatedly to express
our very real and sincere thanks to you,
Özcan, and all your team for the fabulous
tour which you organized for us.
We particularly liked Tutku's work because:
1. the tour itself was very well constructed
with a perfect amount of time at each
location
2. the accommodation was flawless
3. the administration was extremely
efficient and it has been very easy to deal
with all your team
4. Özcan was knowledgeable and highly
conscientious and very likable
5. The home stays were a fabulous treat and
hugely appreciated by the students (although
they must have put a large burden on your
team)
We will most certainly use Tutku Tours again
and will recommend you to others. We would
be more than happy for you to quote this
reference and to provide any other
endorsement should you require it.
With our sincere thanks, once again ,
Jim and Heather and 24 happy
students!
Westmont College, CA
 Dear Cenk,
Greeting from the other side of the world.
Thank you for a wonderful tour of Turkey.
What a beautiful country and I appreciate
your knowledgeable insight about the Turkish
culture and all the places we visited. The
students are having a blast with the
facebook page, might want to check it out of
you have a minute. Again, thank you for a
wonderful tour, I hope you had a easy trip
home and a restful weekend. Lets stay in
touch.
Best regards,
Julia Galloway
Director, School of Art
College of Visual and Performing Arts
The University of Montana
 Hello Levent... Our travels thru
Greece and Albania went superbly well and the
guides (and hotels) in both countries were
great. I enjoyed working with them and would
gladly work with each of them again if possible.
I realize that our overall itinerary was quite
energetic (and may have felt rushed at times)
but there was a reason for this in terms of the
needs and goals of our Down Ancient Paths travel
study program at Ambrose University College and
what we are trying to do in it. Those who signed
up knew what it was all about and that was part
of the attraction (3 countries in one trip for a
very reasonable price). So I really appreciate
all you and Erin did to make this itinerary work
on the ground...the services were excellent!
Also, Mel did her best ..her commentary on the
sites was excellent....from all directions...the
tour was a job well done!
Charles Nienkirchen
Down Ancient Paths travel study program at
Ambrose University College
Read Charles’ article “Why
Christians Should Travel in Turkey”
 Tutku
Tours is at the top of the list for tours of
Turkey. They specialize in Biblical tours
and their expertise is evident in all
aspects of their trips. The guides have a
firm grasp of the ancient sites and they
communicate in an articulate, interesting
and sometimes humorous way with the groups.
They are abreast of current developments in
archaeology and are flexible enough to
accommodate in individual interests, even
during the course of travels. Tutku Tours is
able to negotiate accommodations at
excellent hotels and yet keep their prices
extraordinarily competitive. I most highly
recommend Tutku Tours.
Mark R. Fairchild
Prof. Bible & Religion
Huntington University
Huntington, IN 46750
260 359-4235
mfairchild@huntington.edu
 Levent,
thank you again for putting together such an
outstanding tour for us. It was truly
excellent in every way. Everyone is speaking
so positively about their experience here.
The people are also saying such kind things
about their experience publicly on Facebook.
Warmly,
Clinton E.
Arnold, Ph.D.
Dean ▪ Professor of New
Testament
Talbot School of Theology, Biola University
▪ 13800 Biola Avenue ▪ La Mirada, CA 90639 ▪
(562) 903-4816
 Levent and Erin (and Sema and …),
I can’t thank you enough for making this tour
such a wonderful success! Karen and I especially
want to thank you for arranging our extension at
the Patara Prince. It was incredibly lovely, as
we expected. Thank you!
Dr. David J. Lull
Professor of New Testament
Wartburg Theological Seminary
333 Wartburg Place
Dubuque IA 52003
(Office phone: 563-589-0303)
Read the Turkey Travel Journal of David Lull
 "Tutku Tours provided my
wife and I with one of our most memorable
experiences as we toured Biblical sites in
Turkey for our 30th wedding anniversary.
Their professional, knowledgeable staff
showed us true Turkish hospitality while
providing a fascinating, informative
narrative as we walked among stunning
archeological sites from Pergamon to
Laodicea to Ephesus. We will always read
Paul's letters with these images in mind."
Todd M. Johnson, Director,
Center for the Study of Global Christianity,
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Dear Levent,
Now that we are settling back into our
normal routines I did want to take a moment
to thank you for all your extraordinary
assistance in making our time in Turkey such
a very valuable learning and positive
personal experience. From our first to our
last dinner in Izmir with you, your concern,
graciousness and meticulous planning were
very evident and for this we are most
grateful. Not only did we have very high
regard for Jack as a driver, but also for
the VW van that we had access too. And what
we especially appreciated about Dil was not
only that he got us to all the sites that we
had wanted to access but also his genuine
personal concern for our well being at all
times and his strong desire to make our
journey a very deeply positive experience,
which it was in large part due to his
generous effort.
In short, then, Kathy, Helen and I are all
very deeply grateful to you for your many
kindnesses, your careful advance planning
and your integrity.
Hoping to continue our conversation and with
much appreciation, Karl
Karl P.Donfried, Dr.
theol.
Elizabeth A. Woodson Professor of Religion
and Biblical Literature Emeritus Neilson
Library A10 Smith College Northampton, MA
01063
413 585-3669
 I
would strongly recommend Tutku Tours to
professors, like myself, who plan and lead
Student Study Tours. I found the staff and
guides extremely knowledgeable, experienced
and eager to craft the tour to the class
objectives. I plan on using Tutku Tours
again for my next study trip to Turkey.
C. Patrick Hotle
The John A. Sperry Endowed
Chair of Humanities Associate Professor of
History Director of Study Abroad Office
Culver-Stockton College
Cenk,
It was a pleasure to have you as our tour guide
on our recent trip to Turkey.
We fell in love with your country and hope to
come back one day.
Thank you for taking such good care of us and
giving us insight into the Turkish people. We
enjoyed it tremendously.
Daryl & Alicia Deklerk
Barrie / Ontario / CANADA
Levent - THANK YOU for an
incredible "10-star" experience in Istanbul,
Ephesus and Athens. In every city, our small
group of four, was met by an energetic,
interesting, knowledge-filled tour guide. In
nearly perfect English, Mehmet, Zafer and Voula,
articulated historical data with pertinent and
interesting detail that led us to a new
appreciation for antiquities in Turkey and
Greece. From the Blue Mosque and the Sultan's
Palace to the fresh scents of the famed Spiced
Market in Istanbul to the ancient ruins and
Roman paved streets and Turkish lunch in Ephesus
to the Areopagus and mighty Parthenon (and its
impressionable museum) in Athens, our journey
with Tutko Tours was a wonderful, impressionable
and long-lasting and memorable journey through
history.
With sincere appreciation to you and Mehmet,
Zafer and Voula,
Ed and Pat Sutarik & Friends
Palatine, IL - USA
 Tutku
Tours has been an invaluable partner for our
biblical tours in Turkey and Italy. For
three years, their commitment to excellence
has consistently exceeded our expectations.
From meticulously crafted itineraries to
expertly guided experiences, Tutku Tours has
proven to be a leader in the industry. Their
guides possess a deep understanding of
history, culture, and biblical context,
ensuring that each traveler gains a profound
appreciation for the destinations we visit.
Their expertise brings the Bible to life,
connecting ancient sites to modern-day
significance and creating unforgettable
spiritual journeys. We can’t wait to
experience a journey through the Reformation
and Adriatic with Tutku tours in the years
ahead. We wholeheartedly recommend Tutku
Tours for their exceptional service and
their ability to deliver truly enriching
travel experiences.
George Courtney
Vice President,
Stewardship Development
Christian Medical
& Dental Associations
www.cmda.org
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