PICUS,
it´s fairly simple:
Everybody in Turkey is trying to get on with TK. The reason for that is obvious - a normal career, vacation, benefits, insurance (do I have to mention anything else?!) !
Most of us remember the long list of charter companies and their tremendous high rate of business failures just after the summer!
Will say that they´ve lots of work (and money) during the summer and almost no work in the winter.
Now that the domestic market is open to all companies there´s is quite some work BUT airplanes that are being used on high density domestic routes can´t do the charter work at the same time.
Like that most of the airlines grow again just before the summer season starts and shrink again in the winter (if unable to find work for their ships somewhere else).
90% of all foreign pilots (all seats) are already rated on type and work there for the season only (6-8 month).
New to the system is that pilots from JAA-land are buying their ratings and line trng. in Turkey. This of course puts a smile on every managers´face. Same sh*t is happening here in Europe.
I think that the university degree is a leftover from TK to make it easier for our air force friends. Remember that they graduate from the academy with a ´degree´ and used to get a CPL for free (this has just recently changed and they now also have to do the 14 subjects).
I personally know guys at TK without a degree...
and we all know how they got in.
The system is still stinky (look at XQ new hires from Germany without ´degree´in anything except a frozen ATPL).
There´s always a way! If they need you - they just disregard all prior requirements. As simple as that
!
Good luck!