On Thursday, the 10th of February 2022, the Turkish embassy in the Hague hosted a meet-and-greet with several members of the JASON Activities Committee.
Upon arrival at the beautiful old building located in the centre of the Hague, we were warmly welcomed by a delegation of the Turkish embassy which included H.E Ambassador (Mr. Şaban Dişli), two Counsellors (Ms. Pinar Gülün Kayseri and Ms. Ece Topaloğlu Soğangöz) and Press Counsellor (Mr. Ebubekir Dursun). After a brief introduction by the Ambassador, we got the opportunity to ask several questions and have a conversation with the rest of the delegation. Topics that were discussed included, amongst others, the Turkish diaspora in the Netherlands and its relation with the embassy, the role of Turkey in the Ukraine-Russia tensions, and the cultural differences and similarities between Turkey and the Netherlands. It was a lively discussion and the Turkish delegation provided us with insightful information about the workings of the Turkish embassy, the political positions of its national government, and Turkish cultural practices.
Moreover, the Turkish delegation took great interest in the activities of the JASON institute, which exemplified their interest in Dutch civil society in general. We informed them on JASON’s goals, workings and activities, which naturally led to a discussion on the potential areas of cooperation between the Turkish embassy and JASON. The enthusiasm, sincere interest and fruitful discussions from both parties laid the basis for an enhanced relationship between the embassy and our institute.
On behalf of the JASON institute, we want to kindly thank the Turkish embassy for making the time to connect with our organization and to provide us with valuable information on the daily functioning of an embassy. The meet-and-greet provides the groundwork for a cooperative relationship between these two institutions and demonstrates the increasingly broadening scope of JASON. We look forward to what this future cooperation will bring.
Kicking-off the partnership, JASON has been invited to be part of the press team to cover the 70th Anniversary of Turkey’s NATO membership. Therefore, one of the coordinators of the Activities Committee, Bérénice Cabanne, will travel to Turkey to cover and experience the anniversary in-person. The trip will include the participation in events marking the 70th anniversary of Turkey’s NATO membership, and is intended to inform the press and public in NATO member and partner countries on Turkey’s contributions to NATO, the Turkish defense industry, leading companies, and recent developments.