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Istanbul, Aug 1  The number of tourists visiting Turkey in the first six months of this year has increased by 17 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. 

Speaking at a meeting in Istanbul, Ersoy said the number of tourists visiting the country reached 22.9 million in the first half of this year, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Turjey achieved this despite the impact of the earthquake and the election process," Ersoy was quoted as saying by the daily Hurriyet, referring to the massive earthquakes in February and the elections in May.

The country received 51.4 million tourists in 2022, earning it a revenue of more than $46 billion.

Tourism income reached $21.7 billion in the first six months of the year, up by 27 perc ent compared to last year, which is above the government's expectations, the Minister said.

He added that the country aims to make a tourism turnover of $56 billion throughout this year.