MISTER GEEZER...
Did the same trip myself last year - and would have to say I was more than a bit surprised...
I would have thought 13 - 14 hours duty is just about ' do-able ' with a not too early am start and late pm finish....Think the UK and Scandanavian Charter crews out to SSH, etc....
But this THY Sector is something like 13.00 Report time and the return flight is overnight with an early am arrival back in Istanbul...
What might be a little insight into THY's approach to FTL's is that although FD Crew included a Red Stripe in a reserved seat in 'C' Class, the CC all had a two night HOTAC at the Sheraton.....
Since then, I've given them a fairly wide berth for my trips back home....
Or maybe, like the rest of us, the FD Crew prefer to spend as little time as possible in ' God's own country '...