Turkish Airlines CEO honored with Executive Leadership award

Turkish Airlines CEO Temel Kotil has been prized for “his role in the transformation of Turkey’s flagship carrier,” receiving the 2014 Airline Strategy Award for Executive Leadership during a fanfare ceremony in London.

“In the nine years since he took the helm at Turkish Airlines, Kotil has transformed the carrier from a bit-part player on the fringes of the aviation landscape, to a major actor on the global airlines stage,” a statement on the award organization’s website read.

Kotil said he accepts the award in the name of the 40,000 THY employees, speaking after receiving his prize at the award ceremony in historical Middle Temple Hall in London.

“We couldn’t have reached this success without our passengers. We expect to carry 60 million passengers this year. We have carried 350 million over the past 10 years. I thank them all. They are my bosses, I work for them. This is why the THY is very successful,” he said in his speech.

Judged an independent panel of highly respected industry professionals that includes analysts and former chief executives, it is one of the sector’s most respectable awards.