22 December 2023 – The Philippine Embassy in Ankara hosted a special screening of the West Philippine Sea documentary entitled, “Kalayaan: Karapatan sa Karagatan” on 21 December 2023 at Paribu Cineverse Atakule. Guests were invited to a simple cocktail reception before the film showing.

Ambassador-designate Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. speaking before the audience of the documentary. (Embassy photo)

In his opening remarks during the event, Ambassador-designate Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. thanked the audience for joining the event, emphasized the importance of the West Philippine Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, and after letting the documentary speak for itself, said that the Embassy would be more than willing to answer questions of the public regarding the West Philippine Sea issue.

Ambassador-designate Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. answering questions of the audience after the documentary (Embassy photo)

The documentary, "Kalayaan: Karapatan sa Karagatan” is the first episode in a three-part series aimed to educate viewers on the Philippines' maritime claims in the West Philippine Sea and its ongoing efforts to resolve the contentious issue. The first episode centers on the impact on Filipino fishers and how the territorial dispute has affected their livelihood.

An audience member asking a question after viewing the documentary (Embassy photo)

After the film screening, audience members were also able to participate in a question-and-answer (Q&A) program to learn and understand more about the intricacies of the international maritime dispute. 

Ambassador-designate Bensurto, Jr. (center) with audience members from the Filipino and Turkish community. (Embassy Photo).

Over 50 members from the Turkish academe, legal profession, Filipino community, and Turkish students participated in the program.

For more information on the documentary and the West Philippine Sea issue, you may send an email to the Embassy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

END