02 March 2015 - A team from the Philippine Embassy in Ankara conducted a mission in Istanbul from February 21 to 23 in pursuit of the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy: national security; economic diplomacy; and assistance-to-nationals.

The Embassy team provided consular services to almost 60 Filipinos during its mission in Istanbul. During the one-and-a-half-day of consular services, the team processed 18 passport applications and 10 notarials, registered 11 overseas voters, responded to queries on employment contracts by nine employers, and attended to eight Filipinos who were experiencing problems in their employment in Turkey, some of which are potential victims of trafficking.

To address the issue of trafficking in persons, the Embassy team also organized a Seminar on Preventing Human Trafficking on February 22. During the seminar, the Embassy and International Organization for Migration (IOM) National Project Officer Meltem Ersan shared with the more than 70 participants the methodologies commonly used by traffickers, the punishment and penalties for those who commit the crime of human trafficking according to Philippine and Turkish laws, the hotline numbers that victims can call to report their cases and the rights of victims of human trafficking in Turkey.

As part of the economic diplomacy program of the mission, the Embassy met with officials from Turkish Airlines to discuss the inaugural direct flight of Turkish Airlines to Manila on March 31, and how the airline can support the initiatives of the Embassy to promote Philippine tourism in Turkey. The team also met with some officials and members of the Turkey-Philippines Business Council and Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) to brief the said business organizations on the latest trade and investment opportunities in the Philippines. END