Philippines and Türkiye Hold 5th Political Consultations, to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Relations

ANKARA 29 October 2024 – In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Philippines and Türkiye convened the 5th edition of Political Consultations, on 22 October 2024, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara. 

The Philippine delegation was led by Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro of the Department of Foreign Affairs, while the Turkish delegation was led by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Prof. Dr. Burhanettin Duran.

During the meeting, discussions covered diverse aspects of Philippines-Türkiye bilateral relations, including commemorative activities for the 75th anniversary of relations;  and collaboration in sectoral areas such as defense, maritime issues, education, culture, trade and investment, agriculture, consular issues, and development cooperation. Both officials took stock of developments, and also expressed commitment to further strengthening and expanding engagements in these areas.

Türkiye also plays an active role in the Mindanao Peace Process, serving as chair of the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) and providing assistance to development projects to the region. The IDB is a key component of the normalization structure in accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

People-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and Türkiye continue to increase, made easier  in large part by direct flights of Turkish Airlines from Manila to Istanbul, starting in 2015. By January 2022, Turkish Airlines started the Cebu-Manila-Istanbul route.

They  also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues, such as cooperation within ASEAN, ongoing concerns in the West Philippine Sea, the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, and cooperation in the United Nations.   

Undersecretary Lazaro  conveyed the Philippine government’s gratitude for Türkiye’s assistance in  facilitating the transit through Istanbul of 37 Filipinos repatriated from Lebanon. 

Noting the need to seize the momentum generated by the frank and productive discussions, Undersecretary Lazaro invited the Turkish delegation  to continue such exchanges  at the 6th political consultations to be hosted by the Philippines next year in Manila. 

The Philippines is the first country in Southeast Asia to establish diplomatic relations with Türkiye. END