Antakya Turkish Restaurant opens in Juba

By Benjamin Takpiny

Antakya Turkish Restaurant on Saturday opened it’s first outlet in Juba which employs about 80 people.

The people working at the restaurant range from those working in the kitchen, service, cleaning, and security, technical and operating mangers.

 The place is not only going to serve as a restaurant but also serves as a center for education, culture and social activities with high standard facilities that can also hold conferences and other activities in Juba.

Ayhan Gulsoy, General Manager of Antakya Turkish Restaurant said that they are bringing the rich culinary tradition of Turkiye to Juba, adding that they are honored to share their heritage with the South Sudanese people.

“It’s great joy and pride that I stand before you today to open our new restaurant, Patisserie , Helal Butcher and Rooftop lunch right here in the heart of Juba, South Sudan. I am proud to inform you that our new restaurant will also include the first vocational training center for the hospitality sector in South Sudan,”Gulsoy said during the opening ceremony.

“Today is a celebration of not only a new business venture but of cultural exchange, community and the shared future of friendship and prosperity,” he added.

Gulsoy said that at the heart of this new venture is a passion for bringing the rich culinary tradition of Turkiye to Juba.

“Our restaurant will offer an authentic taste of Turkish cuisine from classic kebab to hearty sweet steaks and of course fresh bread with us baked daily. We believe food has the power to bring people together and we hope that every meal served here creates a moment of connection and joy for our customers,” he added.

Gulsoy said that they aim to create not only a place for great food but a space where people of all backgrounds can come together to share experiences, exchange cultures and build lasting relationships.

He said that their prices are very friendly and affordable.

Turkish Ambassador to South Sudan ,Erdem Mutaf,  said that  the restaurant will not only serve customers who are looking for quality food in the city, but will also be instrumental in promoting Turkish culinary culture from the southern part of Turkiye. 

“It is a great pleasure to attend the opening ceremony of this long-awaited Antakya restaurant today. I congratulate Mr. Emin Bent and Mr. Bulent Esat and their colleagues for this very important investment in Juba and also for the employment they created. I am very happy to witness the opening here because I am coming to the end of my tenure shortly in South Sudan,” Mutaf said.

Minister of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Rizik Zachariah, said that Antakya Turkish Restaurant will add value to the tourism sector in terms of catering, recreation, and hospitality, as well as motivating other international facilities to follow into the wider spheres of the tourism industry.

“This facility gives the South Sudanese the exposure for the Turkish cuisines and cultures, because as long as we enjoy these products, we understand we will get familiarized with the Turkish cuisines and cultures. Hopefully, we will encourage them to visit the attraction sites in Turkiye, establishing an exchange of tourism values between the two sisterly countries. We are fully committed to support this facility because we know managing tourism is all about marketing and promotion,” Zachariah said.

Zachariah said that the opening of the facility stands as a major contribution for promoting tourism in the Republic of South Sudan, as this connects the country with followers and lovers of the services offered at the Antakya restaurant.

 “Based on this, the lovers of this Antakya for sure will be following the events and activities of this restaurant in South Sudan. Also, the establishment of this facility extends the essence of stability and potentially lucrative opportunities in the land of great abundance, because most of the foreign media are talking very negatively about South Sudan. But for us to have such lucrative investment in the country, it’s a good positive indication for the stability and healthy communities of the Republic of South Sudan,” he said.

The opening of Antakya Turkish Restaurant was attended by national ministers, members of parliament, and the Turkish community in Juba, Turkish business associations , World Turkish Business Council Representative and Foreign Ambassadors.