Date: Tue Dec 16 17:40:18 2014
<http://www.tesfanews.net/eritreas-future-looks-bright-for-businessmen-ambas
sador-firat-sunel/> Eritrea's Future Looks Bright for Businessmen:
Ambassador Firat Sunel
Posted on 16 December 2014.
By Diva Business Magazine,
FIRAT Sunel is an author from İzmir and a senior diplomat. His novel,
"Salkım Söğütlerin Gölgesinde" (In the Shadow of Weeping Willows), is widely
acclaimed and soon will be released as TV series. His new novel, "İzmirli"
(The One from İzmir), will also meet with readers in January. However, this
time we will not talk with him about literature. Firat Sunel, whose
diplomatic career extended from Bangkok to Dusseldorf, from Bonn to Tbilisi,
is currently Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in Asmara, the capital of
State of Eritrea. So where is Eritrea? Let's hear the answer from His
Excellency:
FIRAT SUNEL: Eritrea, with whom we share a common history for 350 years
during Ottoman period, is a country that in fact we all know very well. But
we rather know it as "Habeşistan", with its former name. Located in the Horn
of Africa, namely at the Red Sea coasts, Eritrea is a miniature paradise
with its 1300 km pristine coastal line, untouched hundreds of coral islands,
history, nature and warm-hearted and friendly nice people. Main boulevards
of capital Asmara, so-called "Little Rome", has an aesthetic spirit under
the influence of Italian architecture reminds me my home city İzmir in
1960's which I know from old photos. So I think that it will especially
appeal to my fellows from İzmir.
Q: Mr. Ambassador, you have opened our Embassy in Asmara. What is it like to
open a new embassy?
FIRAT SUNEL: Very difficult, but so honorable and spectacular. Only with a
suitcase and a laptop you are stepping into a country that you don't know
and the adventure begins. Everything you do, after that time, will be your
masterpiece with its merits and sins. Turkey and Turks are introduced to the
people in your person. It was not easy but, we have covered a great distance
in one year. Our flag I hoisted at the entrance of a hotel one year ago, is
today waiving in one of the most beautiful buildings of the city, reflecting
the characteristics of Turkish architecture.
Q: What is the reason for the increase of Turkey's commitment to Africa in
recent years?
FIRAT SUNEL: Africa was home of Turks for hundred of years. So we are not
only Asian and European, but also African.
Africa has always had great importance for both Ottoman Empire and Turkey.
However, over the past century because of our limited resources and policies
determined by the Cold War, we had to give our priorities to our own issues
and neighboring regions.
Nevertheless, owing to strong bonds we have created over the centuries, even
in our most difficult times we did not remain insensitive to developments in
Africa. We always stand by the peoples of Africa in their rightful struggle
against colonialism and for independence. Therefore, the presence of our
country in the continent is very different from presence of some European
countries that have colonial history. We have never been "the white man" who
came to exploit Africa.
Even on the contrary, our independence war has been source of inspiration
for many African nations in their struggle against colonialism. With
increasing economic and political power of Turkey in the region, relations
and cooperation of Turkey with its African brothers was moved to a much
higher level in recent years.
Africa began to take place among the main priorities of Turkish foreign
policy since 1998. The "African Opening Policy", we put into practice at
that time, bore fruits and made Turkey more closer to African countries.
In 2013, when Turkish Embassy in Asmara was opened, this policy went a step
further and turned into "Africa Partnership Policy". We believe that
problems of Africa should be solved from the African perspective. Externally
imposed "solutions" have always failed. So we should first know African
people very well and introduce them ourselves accordingly. We want to
reinforce our common history and achievements with trust oriented,
persistent and mutual interest based on friendly relations.
Q: How did the new momentum concerning African relationships in the Turkish
Foreign Policy affect our relationships with the continent? What have
changed?
FIRAT SUNEL: On 2009, the number of our Embassies in all the continent was
12. Today the number has increased to 39. In other words, we have opened 27
new Embassies within 5 years.
Turkish Airlines has become the leading Airline Company in terms of the
number of flights through Africa. Turkish Cooperation and Coordination
Agency (TİKA) has been operating development aid projects and humanitarian
assistance in more than 40 countries in Africa with its 11 Coordination
Offices.
Our country is among the 4 biggest humanitarian donor countries in the world
and one third of our foreign humanitarian aid is allocated to African
continent. These are all the indicators to show Turkey's interest to the
continent.
The opening of our diplomatic representations have very positive reflections
to our relations. Our economic and commercial ties are developing as well as
the political and cultural relations. Until 2000, our commercial relations
were limited with only a couple of North African countries. However today,
our relations are almost spreading to all the continent. We are one of the
15 countries which have the most comprehensive relations with Africa. Our
trade volume used to be under USD 3 billion in 2002, today this number is
approximately USD 25 billion.
Q: Well, Let's return to Eritrea. Where is Eritrea in the picture of Turkish
African relations? What kind of opportunities Eritrea can offer to the
Turkish businessmen?
FIRAT SUNEL: While Eritrea is a small country according to its surface area,
the country is big and important according to its underground sources and
many other potentials. It is closed to the most extensive sea transport
roads. It has one of the richest mineral deposits including gold, silver,
copper and potassium in East Africa. The mining sector is quite liberal and
there are 17 mining companies which work actively in the country.
In case there will be some investments, the country has the potential to
become one of the main tourism paradises with 1300 kilometer tropical coast
and more than 350 coral islands. However, I have also need to underline that
there are some structural and infrastructural problems. Actually this is the
reality in many African countries.
On the other hand, in comparison with other African countries, Eritrea has
many advantages. Primarily there are almost no security problems. The
country is even safer than many European countries. Furthermore, there are
no outbreaks such as Ebola and HIV. In addition there are no threat for
other contagious illnesses either. Another issue which is very important for
businessmen and investors is the fact that bribery and corruption do not
belong to the culture of Eritreans.
Eritrea has a closed economy, the country exports almost everything except
staple food. However, recently there are some positive steps toward to have
a more open policy. Turkish Airlines has flights 3 times a week directly to
Asmara which is very convenient for our businessmen. In the same vein,
Eritrean businessmen considers Turkey as a new and significant partner in
economic and commercial relations. Last month the visit made by the Turkish
Exporters' Assembly, got great attention and 113 Eritrean businessmen joined
the meeting. The number of the businessmen can be considered as a record. We
can also observe this interest in the trade statistics. The trade volume was
approximately USD 1 million before our Embassy opened last year. Within one
year the trade volume has increased to USD 5, 6 million.
I believe Eritrea can provide opportunities not only for our export market,
but also importing goods to Turkey especially in the area of agricultural
products and raw materials. I believe the numbers will continue to increase
and the trade volume between the two countries will be multiplied in the
following years.
Right now our citizens are having some difficulties when getting an Eritrean
visa because there is not any Eritrean diplomatic representative in Turkey.
But I hope this problem will be solved in the near future.
In summary, although there are some structural and infrastructural problems,
Eritrea promises future for Turkish businessmen with having great potential
in many areas.
Consequently, I recommend Turkish businessmen to asses having investments
and establishing economic connections with Eritrea while there is still
space for movement in the beginning of the opening policy tendency.
Ambassador Firat Sunel, Turkish envoy to Eritrea
Ambassador Firat Sunel, Turkish envoy to Eritrea
Ambassador Firat Sunel with students in Asmara
Ambassador Firat Sunel with students in Asmara
Ambassador Firat Sunel hoisting the Turkish flag at the embassy in Asmara
Ambassador Firat Sunel hoisting the Turkish flag at the embassy in Asmara
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