Egemen Bağış is serving his fifth year as Türkiye’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Both he and his family fell in love with more than just Prague, and he speaks about Czech-Turkish relations with great enthusiasm. Not only about their current state, either, but also about the future, and how he envisions they might turn out.
You entered office in 2019 with a plan to increase the volume of trade between our countries to USD 5 billion. Did you manage to achieve this goal?
Increasing the volume of bilateral trade has been a priority for us. While in 2019 the annual volume of trade between our countries was around 3 billion USD, now I am pleased to say that our countries have already exceeded the target volume of 5 billion USD and, according to official figures from Czech statistics, reached more than 6 billion USD in 2023. We have seen an incremental growth in the figures since 2019 mainly thanks to our intensive efforts and innovative initiatives. Despite the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, economic operators from both countries managed to keep the trade flowing.
Could some areas of our mutual cooperation be described as traditional?
Automotive and parts, machinery, electronics and steel have been the sectors making more contribution than others in the aforementioned figures. This is an ongoing trend that we have been observing for a long time. But some product groups such as aluminum, plastics, rubber, apparel, jewelry and last but not least, the defense industry, are also worth mentioning. I am quite hopeful about the future of our cooperation especially regarding the defense industry, which will not only boost our bilateral trade but will also bond both NATO member allies even closer. As you know, Türkiye produces some of the world's best military drones which have proved their unparalleled efficiency in many conflict areas including Ukraine and Karabakh. I am happy to announce that Türkiye is ready to add the Czech Republic to the list of countries that can use these exceptional products.
Is Türkiye planning any significant projects/investments in the Czech Republic within the next few years?
Investments are just another means of economic cooperation. Türkiye has been hosting Czech investors mainly in the energy sector for a long time. We are pleased to see Czech and Turkish companies building strong partnerships in the mobility sector, or in the pharma industry, as well as cooperation and investment projects in relatively new areas such as fintech and e-commerce. To encourage new projects, we continuously follow the Czech Republic’s regulations and policies on foreign investments, and keep our companies up to date about the landscape here. The ecosystem and incentives for start-ups and ICT companies is of interest for Turkish entrepreneurs. However, I might mention tough visa procedures and lack of labor supply as key challenges, from the perspective of potential Turkish investors.
So there is still a lot of room for improving and broadening our cooperation?
I believe that there is still room for improvement both in trade and investment. We expect that mutual visits at the Ministerial level, along with business delegates, would help businesses to make new contacts and, hopefully, new contracts. As already mentioned, defense, e-mobility, furniture, cable, packaging materials and metal industry as well as logistics and ICT could be subject to increased cooperation in the future. Contractors and technical consultancy companies from Türkiye could bring their cost-effective, fast and high quality solutions in infrastructure projects and PPPs. Last but not least I shall mention education. We expect that an increased number of Turkish students would be visiting the Czech Republic. In addition to higher education, exchange programs designated for vocational and technical schools might help knowledge sharing and bring added value. All in all, there is a wide range of areas where companies from both countries might further cooperate. Current tourism figures are impressive. Let me take this opportunity to invite all your readers to Türkiye, not only for summer holidays, but also to explore more alternatives like our rich cultural heritage, winter sports, healthcare services, coupled with excellent hospitality.
Talking to the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala
What is the current situation regarding Türkiye's entry into the EU?
Türkiye’s membership in the EU remains our main strategic objective. Current challenging developments, both at the global and regional level, reveal the importance of Türkiye-EU cooperation and have shown that Türkiye's EU membership is a necessity rather than a choice. The backbone of Türkiye-EU relations is our accession process. Yet, we regret that our membership negotiations were blocked for political reasons. Today we have opened 16 chapters of the accession process, while 1 out of the 35 chapters was temporarily closed. All in all, 8 chapters were blocked by the EU Council, and 6 chapters were blocked by the Greek Cypriots. Unfortunately, the EU's blank cheque to the Greek Cypriots under the pretext of “EU solidarity" continues to poison all aspects of Türkiye-EU relations. We believe that revitalizing Türkiye-EU relations and advancing them in all aspects would benefit both sides equally, particularly when considering the challenging geopolitical landscape in Europe and beyond.
Türkiye is a key partner for the EU, among other things, in migration. Nowadays especially in connection with the war in Ukraine…
During the evacuation, we supported Ukrainians as well as third country nationals. Thousands of Ukrainians entered our country through facilitated visa and passport procedures. We have opened international protection applications for those who flee Ukraine and are under risk. We provided them with shelter and basic needs. Historically, Türkiye has always been a safe haven for people of different nationalities, religions, races and ethnicities. Helping those in need is an integral part of our heritage.
With the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský
Do you see any solution to the war conflict?
From the onset of the hostilities, we have been advocating that a solution to the conflict can be achieved through negotiations. With this understanding, we hosted the highest level meeting between the parties since the start of hostilities in March 2022. As the second year of the war is about to end, we still maintain this approach. We saved many lives by convincing both sides to agree on a hostage exchange. The grain corridor we established with the UN not only helped Ukraine and Russia to export their products but also ensured access to food to millions of African and Asian people. Further protraction of the war will increase the risk of a new kind of escalation and further complicate the security dynamics. The quickest way to eradicate these risks would be to find a just and lasting settlement to the conflict. We remain hopeful that eventually the right set of conditions will rekindle the diplomatic track. Indeed, the Black Sea Initiative, which lasted a year and alleviated a global food crisis, showed what the sides could achieve if diplomacy was given a chance.
You have lived in the Czech Republic for more than four years, do you think that our nations have something in common, some key characteristics perhaps?
We have many things in common. Both Turks and Czechs are hospitable, hardworking and loyal to their commitments. It is not easy to pressure them because they take pride in their sovereignty and freedom but if they promise, they deliver. They both enjoy visiting each other’s countries. Friendship and alliances are important for both Turks and Czechs.
You stated once that you and your family love living in Prague. Have you had the opportunity to also get to know other places in the Czech Republic?
Of course we have visited many parts of this beautiful country despite the restrictions imposed by the COVID pandemic. Karlovy Vary and Český Krumlov are some of our favorite destinations. We have enjoyed visiting Pardubice, Valašské Meziříčí and Hodonín where fallen Turkish soldiers who were sent during World War I to protect our allies in Austrian Hungarian Empire against the invading forces, are buried, as well as a number of other beautiful cities. However we still have a list of places to visit. On the top of that list is the Bohemian Switzerland national park where we are hoping to go this summer.
CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARIES
In 2023, one hundred years passed since the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye. In 2024, the centennial anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Türkiye and the Czech Republic will be celebrated. In 2025, the Turkish Embassy Residence building is going to be one hundred years old. “Türkiye attaches importance to bilateral relations with Czechia as well as our cooperation within international organizations. I firmly believe that cooperation and friendly relations between our countries will develop further and be reinforced in the years ahead. Long live Turkish-Czech friendship and alliance!”
CV BOX
Egemen Bağış (born in 1970 in Bingöl) has been the Ambassador of Türkiye to the Czech Republic since 2019.
He is a former Member of the Turkish Parliament, and the former Minister for EU Affairs and chief Negotiator of Türkiye in accession talks with the European Union.
He also formerly served as the President of the Federation of Turkish American Associations, the New York-based umbrella organization of Turkish-Americans.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Resources Management as well as a Masters degree in Public Administration, both from the Baruch College of the City University of New York. H.E. Mr. Egemen Bağış also received a Ph.D. degree in Management from the İstanbul Aydın University.
He is married and has two children.
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