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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has 'magic'

At a press conference after the ceremony, Hollywood actor Robert De Niro said he was happy to be in Istanbul. "There are a lot of stories going out here, obviously as everywhere else. This city has a lot of magic," he said.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

Actor Robert De Niro visited Istanbul after 20 years to attend a traditional sake ceremony at Nobu, a Japanese restaurant he part-owns.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

The international chain of restaurants is named after Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who has a stake in the business along with American film producer Meir Teper.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

At a press conference after the ceremony, De Niro said he was happy to be in Istanbul.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

Replying to a question about a possible film project in Istanbul, he said he did not have any such plans at the moment.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

However, he said the city was a great place to make a film.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

"There are a lot of stories going out here, obviously as everywhere else. This city has a lot of magic," he said.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

He said his favorite spot in the city is the carpet bazaar and he wants to take his daughter there.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

He also talked about his 50-year friendship with Al Pacino. "We're all friends. We don't hang out every day, but we have a good solid friendship. We always enjoy talking to each other."

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

On the recent rise of OTT platforms, he said: "We couldn't have done Irishman without Netflix. What can I say? I was happy. They gave us everything that we needed."

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

Baran Süzer, the restaurant's Türkiye partner and chairman of Süzer Holding, said Nobu holds a special place among their investments. "We think that Nobu adds value to Istanbul and Türkiye," he added.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

Also speaking, Teper said he was happy to visit Istanbul, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

He said they could not come earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they finally found a partner here.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Niro says Istanbul has magic

Nobu also said he was happy to be in Türkiye. He said he had visited the country 12 times and he finds something new every time.