The large advertising hoarding outside the airport building tells passengers that "our lounge in Istanbul is bigger than some airports."
"Turkish Airlines is making fun of Tegel Airport," the German newspaper Bild reported, asking readers if the advertisement is "funny or a little arrogant?"
In response to an inquiry from Bild, the airport told the newspaper that it only vets advertising to check whether it might be sexually suggestive, violent or politically offensive.
In 2016, 21 million passengers passed through Tegel Airport. In comparison, 60.1 million passengers passed through Istanbul's Ataturk Airport.
Freches Werbeplakat — Turkish Airlines macht sich über Tegel lustig https://t.co/8JiIHgkYch pic.twitter.com/z3gHeQt6x0
— BILD News (@BILD_News) 4 марта 2017 г.
'Naughty advertising poster — Turkish Airlines is making fun of Tegel,' Bild reported.
Judging by reader comments on Germany's Yahoo News, Germans are unconvinced by the Turkish Airlines' advertising campaign.
"What use is a big airport if no passengers arrive?" asked the top-rated comment, referring to the drop in tourist bookings to Turkey.
As well as Tegel, Berlin is also home to Schoenefeld Airport, which was used by 11.6 million passengers last year.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport, also known by the byname Willy Brandt, is scheduled to open in 2018. It will have a passenger capacity of 27 million and replace Tegel as Berlin's main airport.
Tegel Airport, which was built in 1948 on the site of a former military air base, faces an uncertain future after Willy Brandt Airport opens next year. It may be subject to the same fate as Berlin's Tempelhof Airport, which was closed in 2008 and was recently used to house thousands of asylum seekers.
