04 June 2015 - A team from the Philippine Embassy in Ankara conducted a consular mission in Istanbul from May 30 to June 01 guided by the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy: national security, economic diplomacy and assistance to nationals (ATN).

In line with the Embassy’s mandate to conduct overseas voters (OV) registration, two members of the Embassy consular team visited the port of Tuzla in Istanbul on May 30 and registered 41 seafarers as overseas voters for the 2016 Philippine national elections. The next day, the team provided consular services to more than 70 Filipinos in Istanbul. During the consular mission, the team processed 32 passport applications, 35 overseas voter registration applications, 15 notarials, 48 applications for Embassy ID registrations for Filipinos in Turkey, and also held consultations with 10 clients on employment contract issues and with 10 clients for ATN-related issues, including employment problems and possible cases of human trafficking.

The team also met with officers of two Filipino community (FilCom) groups in Istanbul to discuss their participation in the Cultural Program of the Philippine Independence Day Reception, which will be held on June 12 in Ankara. During the meeting, the Embassy representatives invited the FilCom in Ankara and Istanbul to perform Filipino dances during the Cultural Program of the Reception, with the aim of raising the profile of Filipino workers in Turkey and emphasizing the important role of the FilCom in promoting Philippine culture and artistry in Turkey.

As part of the economic diplomacy program of the mission, the team met with owners of dried fruits and nuts stores in the famous Spice Bazaar to discuss sourcing of dried fruits, especially dried mangoes, from the Philippines. The team also met with Istanbul Director of Foreign Relations Selamettin Ermiş to discuss a possible cooperation between Istanbul and Manila in the field of transportation. END