Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Maria Elena P. Algabre is warmly received by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Ankara on 9 November 2021. (Photos: Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey)
ANKARA, 9 November 2021- Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Maria Elena P. Algabre called on Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Ankara on 9 November 2021.
Ambassador Algabre and Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu discussed the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Turkey, which have been developing significantly with the increasing active exchanges on various fields.
Both sides particularly noted the expanding defense cooperation, Turkey’s unwavering support to the Philippine Government’s efforts for sustainable and lasting peace in Mindanao and the development projects in the Philippines through Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and other Turkish non-government organizations active in the country, and cooperation on tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
During the call, Ambassador Algabre also thanked the Foreign Minister for Turkey’s hosting the almost 4,000 Filipinos in Turkey.
Aside from the bilateral relations, they took up Turkey’s engagements with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as with the Asia-Pacific under Turkey’s Asia Anew Initiative. Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said that the Philippines had a special place in Turkey’s policy in the region as ASEAN’s Sectoral Dialogue Partner. Turkey was conferred the status as ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 2017 in Manila with the Philippines as the ASEAN Chair.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Maria Elena P. Algabre with the Ministry’s Director-General for East Asia and South- East Asia Esra Cankorur (5-L) and Philippine Embassy officials, Mr. Enrique Voltaire Pingol, Minister and Consul General (1-L), and Ms. Angela Margeaux E. Tolentino, Third Secretary and Vice Consul (4-L). (Photo: Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey)
Ambassador Maria Elena P. Algabre is the 10th resident Ambassador of the Philippines as she presented her credentials to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 1 September 2021. With official diplomatic relations established in June 1949, the two countries will celebrate the milestone of 75 years of relations in 2024. Currently, the countries have a wide-range of cooperation agreements in the political, defense, economic, tourism, cultural, and education areas. END.
