Apple's third Turkish retail store to open in 2016, report says

Plans are in motion to open a third Apple Store outlet in Turkey, which according to a Thursday report will be located in the upscale Emaar Square shopping mall currently under construction in Istanbul's Asian Side.

Citing a source familiar with Apple's operations, Mac Reports says the company is looking to open a third Apple Store in Turkey sometime in 2016. The company is currently building out a launch team by advertising for various positions on local job posting sites.

The publication narrowed down potential locations to a shopping mall in the Emaar Square complex, an upscale locale that will feature a hotel, apartments and office space. The mall is an indoor/outdoor space that boasts room for 491 merchants, the world's largest indoor aquarium, a multiplex theater and more.

Apple's choice of property is similar to its iconic Apple Store at Zorlu Center, another multi-use complex in the heart of Istanbul. It is not known if Apple plans to install a monolithic glass structure above the upcoming outlet, though the architectural flourish is normally reserved for underground flagships like the 5th Avenue store in New York.

The Emaar Square Apple Store will be Apple's third outlet to open in Istanbul after the Zorlu and Akasya Shopping Center locations went live in 2014.