GAZIANTEP 02 December 2021 – Philippine Ambassador to Turkey, Ma. Elena P. Algabre, joined the Ambassadors of the ASEAN Ankara Committee (AAC)  in the AAC working visit to Gaziantep on 01 December 2021. The AAC called on Governor Davut Gül and Mayor Fatma Şahin.

The ASEAN Ankara Committee Heads of Missions, including Philippine Ambassador Maria Elena P. Algabre (2-R), with Gaziantep Governor Mr. Davut Gül (front center) and spouses. (Embassy Photo)

Governor Gül expressed appreciation to the AAC for choosing Gaziantep as the first city to visit as a group. He shared Gaziantep’s interest in cooperating with the ASEAN countries in trade, tourism, education, and culture. He also shared the best practices of Gaziantep in hosting 450,000 people as refugees.

ASEAN Ankara Committee Heads of Missions, including Philippine Ambassador Maria Elena P. Algabre  (4-R), with Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Şahin (5-L),  and spouses. (Photo courtesy of the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality) 

Meanwhile, Mayor Fatma Şahin expressed Gaziantep’s interest in international partnerships, including through gastronomy. She believes that dining tables bring people together, build harmony, and make cultural exchanges more conducive.

Within and outside Turkey, Gaziantep is known to be the Turkish food capital. Also, since 2015, Gaziantep has been on the UNESCO Creative Cities Network list as a city of gastronomy.

“The Philippines, as a member of ASEAN and in line with its national interests,  would like to strengthen ties with Turkey.  One way to realize this is by establishing contact and cooperation with officials at all levels, such as in the city of Gaziantep,” said Ambassador Algabre in the meetings. She noted the importance of Gaziantep as a trading hub since ancient times and as a key manufacturing center.

The ASEAN Ankara Committee (AAC) is composed of the resident diplomatic missions of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,Thailand, and Viet Nam based in the Turkish capital of Ankara.  The current Chair of the Committee is the Ambassador of Malaysia. ##