ANKARA
A Dominican academic has praised Türkiye for being a mediator between Russia and Ukraine.
NATO member Türkiye has been one of the few countries which is giving out a balanced message by stressing the need to resolve the conflict diplomatically, said Luis Gonzalez.
“One example is the success of bringing together the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine this year as part of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
“I believe Türkiye can leverage the Antalya Diplomacy Conference’s experience to try to develop a forum for Latin American countries that will focus on how Türkiye can benefit from Latin America’s resources and how Latin America can benefit from Türkiye’s resources,” he said.
Gonzalez stated that Türkiye has shown a specific interest in its connections with Latin American countries, particularly after 2006, and has increased the number of embassies in the region.
This desire became more apparent in 2014 when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the region, Gonzalez said.
He added that for the first time in 2013 a Turkish ambassador was nominated to the Dominican Republic in a move to bolster bilateral relations.
The former diplomat stressed the importance of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s recent tour to Latin America, where he highlighted several areas of collaboration.
Gonzalez emphasized that distance is not a barrier to the growth of Türkiye-Latin America relations, citing Ankara’s efforts to expand and enhance ties with the area.
He noted that Türkiye has 17 embassies in Latin America and that a new honorary consulate has been established in San Salvador, El Salvador’s capital.
