Turkish travel agency acquires Thomas Cook's German leg

By Aysu Bicer

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish tour operator giant Anex Tour acquired Oger Tours and Bucher Reisen, subsidiaries of bankrupt British travel firm Thomas Cook, announced a trustee governing the bankruptcy process, in a statement late Thursday.

While no information was provided on the financial details of the acquisition, around 84 employees of Oger Tours and Bucher Reisen are expected to be employed under Anex Tour.

The statement stressed that the purchase depends on regulatory approval.

Anex Tour had previously incorporated Intourist, the Russian leg of Thomas Cook.

The company, established in 1996 and represented in 48 countries, has its offices in 18 countries and employs approximately 6,500 people.

The collapse of the iconic 178-year-old British Thomas Cook left more than 20,000 employees jobless and at least 150,000 holiday makers stranded abroad.

The demise of the U.K.'s oldest travel agency has sent shockwaves across the industry worldwide, especially in countries like Turkey, which has benefited from its travel packages and resulting tourism revenue.