ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday launched the first-ever Consuls General Conference in the capital Ankara.

“With this conference, held under the theme ‘Consulates General in Our Foreign Policy Vision,’ we aim to improve the quality of services we provide to our citizens living abroad and to set our goals for the upcoming period,” said Fidan on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

“Together with our ministries and partner institutions that jointly serve the Turkish community abroad, we will comprehensively assess all aspects of our services,” he added.

The conference will feature regional and thematic sessions on topics such as the economy, public diplomacy, culture, overseas promotion, education, migration, and information technologies that will address issues directly concerning consuls general, he said.

“I hope our conference will be beneficial to our state, our nation, and our citizens living abroad,” said Fidan.

Türkiye’s expanding diplomatic network

In his inaugural speech, Fidan said improving institutional processes is one of the ministry's top priorities, and that upcoming structural changes will allow the Foreign Ministry to pursue a fully integrated, 360-degree approach to foreign policy.

“With 263 diplomatic missions, we have the world’s third-largest diplomatic representation network. We are about to open our 264th mission. With 99 consulates general, Türkiye has the most extensive consular network globally. Nearly 2,000 personnel serve our citizens abroad with strong professional capacity,” he said, adding that this figure rises further when legal advisors and affiliated attachés are included.

Fidan stressed that direct contact with citizens abroad largely occurs through consular services, making the work carried out at consulates general particularly critical.

Highlighting the ministry’s focus on digital transformation, Fidan said: “We have made great progress in developing online consular services and the technical infrastructure supporting them. In e-government and e-notification applications, we rank among the top countries globally.”

The minister also pointed out that enabling citizens abroad to vote in Turkish elections, a practice implemented since 2014, is among the ministry’s major achievements.

Recalling that nearly 2 million Turkish citizens voted in the 2023 presidential and general elections across 151 missions in 73 countries and 16 additional cities, Fidan underlined the critical role played by consulates in that process.

“Türkiye is among the countries that interpret the concept of ‘consular protection’ in the broadest sense,” he said, adding: “For the past 15 years, the (consular call) center has served as the main point of contact for our citizens during natural disasters, wars, crises, and evacuations. Operating 24/7 in nine languages, it responds to more than 2,000 calls daily.”

'Combating hate crimes is not only a legal duty but a moral obligation'

Stressing the importance of consulates maintaining close contact with Turkish civil society organizations to support the socioeconomic advancement of citizens abroad, Fidan said: “The representation and empowerment of our citizens and kin communities in all areas, including politics, economics, academia, and education, are among the key responsibilities of our consulates general.”

He underlined that consuls general must play a unifying role for the Turkish community in their respective regions and ensure that the support of the Turkish state is felt.

“Abroad, particularly in the West, attacks on our mosques, homes, workplaces, faith, holy book, and citizens occur almost daily,” Fidan said, noting that since 2023, more than 750 racially motivated, xenophobic, and Islamophobic incidents have been recorded.

He stressed that fighting hate crimes is not only a political and legal duty but also a moral responsibility, adding that defending the dignity and security of Turkish citizens wherever they live is a fundamental obligation.

The foreign minister also pointed out that consulates general play active roles in developing political and commercial relations, supporting cultural and sports activities, and fostering sister-city partnerships.

“You represent our state and defend the interests of our nation across a vast geography, working tirelessly and often sacrificing family time and personal life. We take great pride in your dedicated efforts and achievements,” he said.

He also honored Turkish diplomats who were killed in the line of duty, as well as their families.