Apple is planning to open its first retail store in Turkey on Friday, April 4, reports Turkish Apple blog ElmaDergisi [Google Translation]. Located in the heart of Istanbul's multi-use Zorlu Center between luxury retailers Burberry and Louis Vuitton, the new store will span more than 20,000 square feet.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the Istanbul store will feature a unique concept that includes a design with a cubic glass ceiling, but the architecture of the store has yet to be revealed.

cook_gul_turkey
Earlier this year, Tim Cook traveled to Istanbul to meet with the Turkish president, reportedly discussing the new store opening, potential research and development facilities in the country, and an ongoing initiative that could potentially see Turkey purchasing $4.5 billion worth of tablets for the country's schoolchildren.

Cook is expected to return to Turkey for the store opening, which will also be attended by Turkish President Abdullah Gül.

Top Rated Comments

madsci954 Avatar
155 months ago
Istanbul, not Constantinople?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ladeer Avatar
155 months ago
[deleted]
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Silencio Avatar
155 months ago
Istanbul, not Constantinople?

That's nobody's business but the Turks.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
155 months ago
Istanbul, not Constantinople?

No, you can't go back to Constantinople!
Been a long time gone, Constantinople!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DondurmacI Avatar
155 months ago
Cook and Gül met in Ankara, which is the capital city.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vomhorizon Avatar
155 months ago
Tim travels abroad YET AGAIN to be feted by the not-so-high-and-mighty.

And....IOS and Mac OS have security issues dating back to the beginning of Tim's reign. Plus, IOS 7.1 still not released. Plus, issues with Thunder cables rotting. Plus, too many 'rights' issues in the fore. Sadly, MANAGEMENT of Apple seems to have fallen to the worker level and ON SITE LEADERSHIP needs some attention.

Hey Tim, I know you are not evil or lacking in capabilities but maybe back off from the too many, too often trips to Asia and Europe. Just 'sayin.

Yeah, let go of an ultimate PR opportunity in a growing country, (when the leader of that country decides to attend the store opening, the company CEO should be present: As a sign of respect. This is true for most nations) in addition to the deal with the department of education in the country that could be responsible for upto 4.5 billion dollars!

TC is no longer the day-day manager of apple, he is the CEO..CEO's LEAD the company and its workers..technical issues needn't be micromanaged by the company CEO.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

10 Reasons to Wait for This Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday January 8, 2026 2:56 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Apple Is Expected to Launch These Four MacBooks in 2026

Friday January 9, 2026 8:17 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

Five New iPhone Features Rumored for iOS 27

Wednesday January 7, 2026 2:51 pm PST by
Though it's been just a few months since iOS 26 launched, we're already hearing rumors about the next-generation version of iOS, iOS 27. iOS 27 will be introduced at Apple's June WWDC 2026 event before it launches in September 2026. We don't know all of the details about iOS 27 yet, but we do have some information about what to expect. "Snow Leopard" Update iOS 27 will apparently focus...
samsung crease less foldable display ces 2026%402x

Foldable iPhone's Crease-Free Display Tech Spotted at CES 2026

Tuesday January 6, 2026 3:04 am PST by
CES 2026 has just provided a first glimpse of the folding display technology that Apple is expected to use in its upcoming foldable iPhone. At the event, Samsung Display briefly showcased its new crease-less foldable OLED panel beside a Galaxy Z Fold 7, and according to SamMobile, which saw the test booth before it was abruptly removed, the new panel "has no crease at all" in comparison. The ...
safari icon blue banner

Apple Loses Safari Lead Designer to The Browser Company

Thursday January 8, 2026 10:50 am PST by
Apple has lost another senior figure from its Safari team as a lead designer departs for The Browser Company, extending a pattern of high-profile exits from Apple's browser team amid intensifying competition around AI-driven browsing. Marco Triverio was a lead designer for Safari and has now joined The Browser Company, the developer of the Arc and Dia browsers. The move was confirmed by The...
iOS 26 Glass Feature

iOS 26 Shows Unusually Slow Adoption Months After Release

Thursday January 8, 2026 3:44 pm PST by
iOS 26 is showing unusually slow adoption among iPhone users months after release, according to third-party analytics. Usage data published by StatCounter (via Cult of Mac) for January 2026 indicates that only around 15 to 16% of active iPhones worldwide are running any version of iOS 26. The breakdown shows iOS 26.1 accounting for approximately 10.6% of devices, iOS 26.2 for about 4.6%, and ...
proposed unicode emoji 18%402x

Squinting Face, Pickle, and Lighthouse Among New Emoji Coming to iOS

Friday January 9, 2026 4:24 am PST by
The Unicode Consortium has published a draft list of emoji that could come to smartphones and other devices in the future. The list shared by Emojipedia outlines 19 emoji candidates under consideration for Emoji 18.0, which is expected to be finalized in September 2026. Among the proposed additions are a squinting face emoji, left- and right-pointing thumb gestures, a pickle, a lighthouse, a ...