Bilateral relations between Slovenia and Turkey are friendly and open up new avenues of cooperation in many fields from security to economics and culture, says H.E. Esen Altug, the Ambassador of Turkey. But before we turned to discussion about mutual relations we asked our interlocutor to tell us more about the growing trend of female ambassadors in her country.
Women play an important role in the formation and execution of Turkish foreign policy. What do female diplomats bring as a new value to everyday diplomatic dealings?
I am very happy to see the growing number of female diplomats in the Turkish Foreign Ministry. At present, 35 percent of the diplomats are women. The number of women ambassadors has reached 63, and currently 37 women are serving abroad. Turkey leads an enterprising and humanitarian foreign policy, and I believe that female diplomats have more strength and creativity in the sense of empathy. This nature of compassion brings success in humanitarian challenges. Contemporary diplomacy obliges us to dedicate more of our work to the challenges in the field, rather than in our offices, especially when we pursue humanitarian and enterprising foreign policy. Often, listening to a women’s perspective helps solve issues more effectively. We need to have more room for women’s voices in shaping the agenda for sustainable development, security, and peace. I believe that female Turkish diplomats, having excellent negotiation skills combined with empathy and natural intuition, can have successful careers in international organizations and take more active roles in humanitarian issues and peace-building. We should be role models for younger generations. In this context, I also want to mention the Slovenian Foreign Ministry’s “Young Ambassadors” mentoring project, which I am a part of, together with other female colleagues. I find such initiatives very useful.
How would you assess bilateral relations between Turkey and Slovenia?
Our two countries share deep-rooted historical and cultural ties. Turkey was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Slovenia at the beginning of 1992. Since then, the friendly relations between our countries have been developing and intensifying over the years. In 2017, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. We are allies in NATO, and I am happy to say that the two countries are strategic partners since 2011. I believe that reciprocal high-level visits between our countries will contribute to the further development of the good relations and fruitful cooperation between Turkey and Slovenia in the period ahead.
In which areas of cooperation do you notice the most significant improvements?
I think that there are still vast opportunities to intensify our economic cooperation, especially in construction, tourism, logistics, and transportation sectors. Sustainable, human-focused development is of vital importance. Science, technology, and innovation are the guiding principles of Slovenian economic growth, and when we combine Slovenian innovation and research with Turkish experience in the logistics and transportation sector, we will have a strong partnership that can be very beneficial for both countries. Slovenia’s advantageous location, with the port of Koper being the gateway for trade into Central and Eastern Europe, is important for Turkish investors. Renewable energy is also another area where Turkish and Slovenian businesspeople can have successful joint ventures.
As you said in one interview, the bilateral trade is growing, but it is “far from having exhausted all the potentials”. How can this be improved?
We are happy to see that our trade volume is steadily increasing in recent years. Our trade has exceeded the level of 1,7 billion US dollars. However, we believe that our economic and commercial ties are still far from reflecting the real potential between the two countries. To achieve our goals in economic and commercial relations, we need to increase our efforts. We should encourage our businesspeople, exporters, and companies to interact more effectively. In this regard, we try to promote business-to-business meetings. The Joint Economic Commission meeting taking place this autumn in Ljubljana will undoubtedly give an impetus to our relations. My expectation from the Turkish-Slovenian Business Council is this: commitment to a more active role in boosting our economic and trade relations.
The car industry accounts for the bulk of bilateral trade. How do you explain the interest of Turkish companies in Slovenia’s automotive industry?
Turkish automotive industry is well developed. It is the leader in our exports to Slovenia and many other European countries. In 2018, Turkish exports of passenger vehicles to Slovenia increased by 116 %, and by 110 % when it comes to commercial vehicles. Turkish automotive sector mainly consists of the supply industry. Naturally, manufacturers in the supply industry generally wish to locate their production centers near the leading manufacturers. Many Turkish companies opened factories in Balkan and Central European countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland, as big car brands moved their factories to these countries. Numerous Turkish companies are seriously interested in investments in Slovenia as well. Slovenia’s geographical location has many advantages for the car industry. Slovenia’s efforts to attract leading producers, as well as the introduction of new investment incentives, would increase Turkish investments. In fact, Turkish car industry companies are being invited by many European countries, as they are highly competent and competitive in this field. They are customer-oriented and very flexible in fulfilling customer’s needs in terms of product, price, quality, or delivery.
What do you see as major fields of interest for future cooperation?
Turkey is a country where the East and the West physically and culturally blend, a place with multiple colors, subcultures, different social segments combined with a deep-rooted history. This affects the richness of our culture and economy. With its competitive business environment, Turkey is a gateway to the Middle East and Central Asia, while Slovenia is the gate to the EU market for Turkish businesspeople. Both countries are attractive investment locations. Businesspeople should use this opportunity to create new and reliable partnerships. On the other hand, I am pleased to see that Turkish TV shows are popular in Slovenia. Our cultural proximity and human interaction throughout history make Turkish dramas attractive for the Slovenian audience. I believe that Turkish TV series will improve cultural understanding and awareness between the two societies. They help overcome groundless prejudices against Turkey and Turkish people. When we know more about each other and try to understand the other culture, it helps create a more favorable atmosphere for diplomatic relations as well. We will continue to further develop our relations to the mutual benefit of our peoples, as well as for the stability and prosperity in the Balkans.
I recommend Slovenian tourists to visit of Göbeklitepe
The latest tourist numbers are promising. I hope that Turkey and Slovenia will continue to enhance the bilateral cooperation in tourism. Turkish Airlines daily flights to Ljubljana facilitate not only the tourism between the two countries, but also contribute to connecting Japan, China, Korea, and other countries with Slovenia and the region. Of course, Slovenia’s natural beauty has always been attractive to Turkish tourists. I also want to mention that the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced 2019 as the Year of Göbeklitepe, which is the oldest temple in the world. Cultural heritage tours can also be very attractive for Slovenian tourists. Other possible cooperation areas are winter tourism and spa tourism.
Photo: Marko Pirnovar