Diplomatic Nine O’Clock Sharp Talks
Interview with the Turkish Ambassador to Romania,
His Excellency, Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan
by Andreea Gudin, Nine O’Clock
Your Excellency,
You have had an impressive and diverse diplomatic career, having served in key roles across various regions and international organisations, such as NATO and several countries. Could you share how these different experiences have shaped your diplomatic philosophy and your approach as the Ambassador to Romania?
H.E., Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: For any Turkish diplomat the starting principle and the constant objective is the same, which is Türkiye’s founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s motto of “Peace at home, peace in the world”. In my case, I had the opportunity to serve in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the US, Turkish Delegation at the NATO HQ in Brussels, Greece and now in your beautiful country Romania. I was lucky to have experience in all fields of bilateral diplomacy, multilateral and consular work. All are quite different from each other in terms of the nature of work but nevertheless very fulfilling from different perspectives.
Beyond this we are proud about the central location of Türkiye in terms of geography but also on almost all geostrategic matters. This dictates that we engage in all directions and project a foreign policy with positive energy for peace and stability. Against this backdrop my personal experience has been on the Balkans, Europe, the US, NATO and international security. As the Ambassador of Türkiye in Romania I feel that this background is extremely relevant and helps me understand Romania and my Romanian friends better.
146 Years of Trust: Reflections on Turkish-Romanian Diplomatic History
This year marks 146 years since Türkiye sent its first ambassador to Romania. Given this longstanding relationship, what are the key lessons we can draw from the diplomatic history between our nations, and how can they guide our future cooperation?
H.E., Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: I believe that enjoying 146 year-long diplomatic relations between our nations talks for itself. Ottoman Empire was second to the Austria-Hungary Empire to recognize the independence of Romania despite the conflict. The world has changed drastically and repeatedly in this period. Yet, trust and friendship between Turkish and Romanian peoples have marked our relationship throughout these years, despite the challenges faced due to the ever-changing global and international context, as well as the intrinsic hardships of our region.
Both the yesterday and today of Turkish-Romanian relations are defined with cooperation, alliance, dialogue, tolerance, common interests, proximity in distance and proximity in people-to-people ties. Every drop of water that reaches Danube may pass through the Turkish Straits. This is how connected we are. We started our diplomatic relations as early as 1878, in the same vein, we signed the Balkan Pact in 1934 as an outcome of our solidarity against common security challenges, and this mind-set is still the main pillar of our cooperation.
The biggest lesson of our common history to guide our future cooperation would be realisation of the intensity and importance of our connectedness, which is the underlying reason for our mutual trust, in a vast variety of areas such as security, connectivity, trade, human-to-human relations, environment so on and so forth. We must always keep in mind that we share common history, we belong to the same region, we are both Black Sea countries, we have centuries-long human connection and cooperation.
Atatürk said some powerful words on Türkiye’s approach to Romania in 1937 which still stand for us bilaterally and within NATO: “I want you to know that Türkiye and I sincerely hope for an increasingly powerful Romania. For Türkiye, the alliance with Romania is a source of ongoing happiness. I personally, the Turkish government, as well as the people of Türkiye, all believe that the strength of our friends is a strength for ourselves… I declare and will always declare and remain true to my words, that the power of Romania is as dear to us as our own power… Above all is the feeling that we are bound to stay together. In our hearts, Romania is praised as a brother.”
Priorities in a Shifting Geopolitical Landscape
Romania and Türkiye share strong economic, cultural, and defence partnerships. What do you believe are the most pressing priorities in our bilateral agenda today, especially in the context of regional security challenges and the evolving geopolitical landscape?
H.E. Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: Türkiye and Romania are neighbours with coastlines in the Black Sea. Our geographical proximity makes our interconnectivity and mutual interaction indispensable on many fields. Regional and international security is of course one of these areas with high priority. Today, we enjoy Strategic Partnership with Romania. We are NATO allies.
We have outstanding trade capacity and an even bigger potential. Türkiye is in the top five overall and the biggest non-EU commercial partner for Romania. Turkish companies are among the main investors in Romania. There is a sizable Turkish and Turkish-Tatar community. These are some of the most significant factors of our relations. The pressing priorities are furthering our strategic cooperation in terms of our security and defense dialogue both bilaterally and within NATO, continue and even further develop dialogue and cooperation on Black Sea to support regional cooperation, deepen the cooperation for defense industry partnerships including joint production of certain defense capability items and, of course, take forward our economic ties that are already developing at an impressive and sustained pace.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Ciolacu’s visit to Türkiye upon invitation by President Erdoğan marked another turning point in Türkiye-Romania ties. The talks between the leaders were accompanied by a total of 22 Ministers at the end of which 7 agreements were signed. Thus, the first meeting of the G2G consultation mechanism was convened officially establishing the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between our countries. We look forward to the next meeting to be hosted by the Romanian side within the next couple of years.
Commercial and Economic Cooperation
Türkiye is one of Romania’s major trade partners. With both countries striving for economic modernization, what sectors do you see as having the greatest potential for increased bilateral trade and investment? Are there any new opportunities, particularly in technology or renewable energy, where Türkiye and Romania could collaborate?
Bilateral trade projected to approach 12 billion Dollars mark by year’s end
H.E. Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: Türkiye and Romania are significant partners in the fields of economy, bilateral trade and investments. Romania is the most important trade partner of Türkiye in Central and Eastern Europe and Türkiye is Romania’s largest trade partner outside the EU. Our bilateral trade is projected to approach 12 billion Dollars mark by year’s end. Next target, 15 billion dollars should be achievable in the next 2-3 years.
More than 19.000 Turkish firms have been established in Romania, ranking third in number following Italy and Germany. Romania comes second after Germany in terms of number of Turkish companies doing business abroad. Some of these businesses are giant industrial institutions such as Ford Craiova and the Arctic/Beko with thousands of working places contributing to high-tech production, exports and employment in Romania. These facts give striking evidence of the capacity and potential of our economic relations and bilateral trade. Moreover, these companies operate in a vast variety of areas ranging from automotive industry to banking, from health to appliances. Therefore, we have the potential to enhance our cooperation in diverse areas. The presence of these Turkish-Romanian businesses are also the major driver of the bilateral trade.
Turkish construction companies have been undertaking significant public infrastructure projects in Romania especially in the last 2-3 years. Our construction companies are in high demand because they have the resources, capacity, and expertise and most important they deliver. They can work in hardship, such as harsh weather conditions and in the mountains.
Türkiye: 5th in Europe and 11th in the world in renewable energy
With regards to energy cooperation, Türkiye aspires for better, cleaner, and more sustainable energy for everyone. We set 2053 as our net-zero emission target. Currently, Türkiye’s renewable energy resources constitute more than half of our installed capacity, ranking fifth in Europe and eleventh in the world in renewable energy. Our goal is implementing a multidimensional and multilayered energy strategy with a long-term planning to achieve our decarbonization goal. Therefore, we focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, nuclear energy, the role of natural gas as a transition fuel and mining for the energy transformation. In all of these areas there is great potential for partnering between Türkiye and Romania.
It is worth mentioning that, in Eskişehir, a Turkish city in Central Anatolia, world’s second-largest single field-reserve of rare earth elements, critical for the production of clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, batteries, and solar panels has been discovered. We believe that critical raw materials should be a tool for regional and global cooperation. With this understanding, we have recently joined the Mineral Security Partnership Forum, which aims to enhance international cooperation in this field.
On the other hand, European Commission has recently published Romania’s National Integrated Energy and Climate Change Plan (PNIESC) for 2025 – 2040, including policies and measures aimed at increasing the share of renewable energy sources, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing innovative solutions in all economic sectors. Romania also committed to become climate neutral before 2045. To achieve our targets in energy sector, we are ready to cooperate with Romania and other like-minded countries and to support renewable energy projects.
We are members of the OrganiSation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) which was spearheaded by Türkiye in 1992 in order to focus on multilateral political and economic initiatives aimed at fostering cooperation, peace, stability and prosperity in the Black Sea Region and the current Secretary General of the Permanent International Secretariat of BSEC is from Romania. Ambassador Lazar Comanescu who was appointed by the 43rd Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States.
Pioneering Economic and Green Alliances Between Romania and Türkiye
Given your experience in economic and defence diplomacy, how do you envision Türkiye contributing to Romania’s broader strategic objectives, such as its aspirations within the OECD, and what role does Türkiye see for Romania in its own economic plans?
H.E. Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: When you look at the world map, Türkiye and Romania are essentially at the same location from a strategic point of view. That is supported by the fact that we share common strategic objectives as a natural outcome of being neighbours and allies in the same region, sharing the same values. This is also complemented by our robust commercial ties. All this will make Türkiye a partner for Romania in reaching its strategic objectives.
Defence industry is a point in case with significant potential. Türkiye is now able to produce its own military assets and capabilities compatible with NATO standards tested on a daily basis in various operational theaters by our armed forces. Our country is also less territorial when it comes to sharing technology and know-how in case of partnerships with friends and allies like Romania. Romania is the second NATO country after Poland acquiring TB2 drones produced by Baykar Defense. One of Türkiye’s largest defense companies Otokar is also reported to be at the final stage of an agreement to supply 1,059 Cobra II 4×4 Tactical Wheeled Light Armored Vehicles. Most of these will be produced in Romania. These are just two examples and there is much more that can be done between the two allied countries.
Türkiye was one of the 20 founding member countries that signed the Convention of the OECD in 1960 and today we are one of the 38 OECD Member states. Turkish Foreign Ministry announced in January 2022 its support to start accession discussions with Romania and the other five OECD accession candidates Argentine, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia and Peru. I am happy say that we still support Romania’s OECD membership. We hope that Romania would be a member by 2026 if not earlier. Romania would reinforce the leading role of the OECD in tackling the global challenges and increase its effectiveness by contributing to the universalisation of our shared values and principles.
During Prime Minister Ciolacu’s visit to Türkiye last May and the meeting of the Türkiye-Romania High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council there was decision to set up a Türkiye-Romania Joint Working Group to assess the possibilities in the fields of connectivity, renewable, and nuclear energy. A key connection between our countries was established earlier this year. In July a new Ro-Ro line between our respective Black Sea ports of Karasu and Constanta started functioning twice weekly. I short to medium term the plan is for a daily line to be sustained. This will be yet another trade facilitator and multiplier.
We see bolstering our tourism and people-to-people ties also as a strategic investment. In 2023 almost a million Romanians visited Türkiye. With travel with ID cards arrangement for Romanians this year this number is projected to increase by almost 20 percent this year. On the other hand, around 750.000 Turkish citizens have entered Romania in mostly for business purposes and transit. But Romania is also projected to become an increasingly popular destination for Turkish visitors. Visa liberalization with the EU for Turkish citizens would no doubt be a multiplier of numbers.
Fortifying the Black Sea: A Strategic Alliance for Regional Security
As former Deputy Director General for NATO affairs, you bring a wealth of knowledge regarding security. In light of the current regional tensions, especially concerning the Black Sea, what strategic role do you foresee for the Romania-Türkiye partnership in NATO? How can we strengthen our joint defense capabilities?
H.E. Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: In my view, being NATO allies is one of the biggest assets of our relations. Türkiye demonstrated strong support for Romania during its NATO membership process. We contribute to our region’s security and stability by carrying out joint activities with Romania both at bilateral level and within NATO.
Recently, four Turkish F-16 warplanes served in the Romanian air space in the framework of NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing mission for four months.
Moreover, Türkiye Romania and Bulgaria work together in the Black Sea as littoral states and NATO allies. With a pro-active approach, we have formed the Black Sea Mine Countermeasure Task Group (MCM Black Sea) last January to ensure maritime security against the threat of mines in the Black Sea. MCM Black Sea demonstrate our countries’ determination and motivation to maintain peace and security in the strategically important Black Sea. The activations of MCM Black have already commenced this summer. We see this joint effort as the beginning of a robust approach to regional cooperation and ownership as foreseen by recent NATO Summit communiqués.
Security of our region is our common goal and it is very much connected to several other factors, not only based on military capabilities. Migration, cross-border crimes, environmental challenges, etc. are other important factors for security in today’s world, that needs our common approach and attention. Türkiye is ready to cooperate with Romania in each and every one of these areas bilaterally and regionally.
In today’s world, terrorism manifests itself anywhere and everywhere irrespective of any boundaries. As laid out in the NATO’s Strategic Concept, terrorism is one of the main threats to international peace and prosperity, and combating it is essential to our collective defense. We are determined to continue our efforts to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
The recent terrorist attack on the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara on 23 October, shows once again that we need to stand together in the fight against terrorism. Romanian Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Odobescu expressed their valuable support by swiftly condemning the attack. We value our cooperation with our ally Romania in our common fight against terrorism and we are grateful for the Romanian Government and the people of Romania for their solidarity with Türkiye.
The war in Ukraine has been an open wound for the region and the world. We fully support Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Our President in his recent speech underlined this staunch position once again. But we also believe that the international community should make more efforts for peace. Türkiye has been very active in that sense which made possible negotiations in the beginning, the grain deal as long as it lasted and prisoner exchanges. We will continue to put emphasis on diplomacy as we believe this is the only way.
At this point, I would like to mention that, Türkiye has been properly and impartially implementing the Montreux Convention which is an essential element in the context of Black Sea Security and stability, for nearly nine decades and we will continue to guard it for the future generations. Montreux Convention guarantees the freedom of the passage of all civilian vessels and guarantees the security and stability.
Powering Stability: Strategic Energy Alliances
Energy has become a critical component of geopolitical strategy, especially in our region. What role does Türkiye see itself playing alongside Romania in fostering greater energy security and diversification of supply routes?
H.E. Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: Türkiye is the fourth largest natural gas market in Europe, with our consumption exceeding fifty billion cubic meters per year. In order to establish a secure supply of natural gas and ensure diversification, we have increased our gasification capacity five times in the last eight years. Türkiye has natural gas export agreements with Romania, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Serbia among other which contributes to the energy security in Europe. Our country is currently the fourth largest LNG importer in Europe and we have capacity for more thanks to the investments made to LNG terminals. Considered together with all the natural gas, oil, electricity and transportation infrastructure that criss-crosses our country it is safe to say Türkiye has become an energy hub for all regions that it is in the center of first and foremost Europe.
We believe it is necessary to carry out our energy transition and energy security efforts in cooperation with our regional partners. Uninterrupted supply of energy, modernisation of grid infrastructure, development of global storage capacity and diversification of sustainable supply chains have significant place in our energy strategy. Therefore, we need to strengthen our natural gas interconnection capacities and focus on transmission infrastructure and investments. It is also worth mentioning that Turkish companies are making remarkable investments in the Romanian energy sector, particularly on solar power, not only in panels but also through expert companies in storage and digitalization in the energy field. In addition, both Türkiye and Romania is now tapping into their natural gas reserves in their Black Sea basins which will constitute yet another commonality between our countries and all the more reason for further cooperation and dialogue.
Bridging Cultures, Building Trust
Cultural diplomacy has always been a bridge between nations. How do you view the role of cultural exchanges between Romania and Türkiye in fostering greater understanding and cooperation? Are there any specific cultural or educational initiatives you are championing during your tenure?
H.E. Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: Türkiye and Romania are close to each other not only from a geographical point of view. There is interaction between our people for hundreds of years which translates into a strong cultural and social connection. Our kinsmen living in peace and harmony in Romania is one of the main pillars of this. According to the 2021 census, nearly 40 thousand people from Turkish and Turkish Tatar origin live here and they are among the 18 officially recognised minority groups in Romania.
Thanks to their constitutional rights, they enjoy and preserve their language, religion, culture and their roots. They live a happy life in Romania. We believe that Romania’s stance should set an example to other countries in the region. Likewise, according to our estimate there should be about 25 thousand Turkish/Turkish-Romanian citizens who call Romania home having arrived starting with 90’s establishing their businesses, families and lives. They are law-abiding, tax-paying people and they make a great contribution to every walk of life. They are also very active in civil society having established numerous NGOs one of them being Turkish Businessmen Association (TİAD).
Our languages have more than 2000 common words. That is always a great conversation starter. Of course, our cuisines also enjoy numerous common dishes such as sarmale, stuffed wine leaves. Hagi and Popescu are two football legends who are very much respected and cherished to this date after their time in Galatasaray.
When it comes to educational activities, Yunus Emre Institute is doing a great job to promote Turkish language in organised classes, physical and online as well as at schools through “My choice Turkish” program. Our Embassy and the Yunus Emre Institute also organises many cultural events, concerts and art exhibitions. In the same vein Dimitri Cultural Institute of Romania is also very active in İstanbul organising many events. Turkish TV series are also very popular around the world and they spark a lot of interest also for the Romanian audiences. In the field of education, the Maarif school in Bucharest is doing a great job bring a high quality education in international standards. Many Turkish and Romanian university students continue their studies in the other country’s higher education institutions including many on state scholarships by the two countries.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency TİKA is also realizing a lot of projects that contribute to our friendship.
A Vision for Deepened Cooperation
As we look to the future of Romania-Türkiye relations, what is your vision for the next decade? How do you hope both countries will evolve together in areas such as technology, defense, and diplomacy?
H.E. Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: Looking at the level of long-standing cooperation based on mutual understanding and trust, it is not difficult to predict that Turkish-Romanian relations and cooperation will continue to flourish and deepen in every field, strategic, military, security, commercial and people-to-people. Continuation of high-level contacts will always be a catalyst for further improvement. In this regard, we will look forward to the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council to be hosted by Romania in the coming period which will be a good opportunity to analyze progress in relations and give direction to further cooperation. On the economic field next commercial volume targets are 15 billion and 20 billion Dollars. This will require close collaboration and taking measures where necessary to support mutual economic activity. On November 1 Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat will be visiting Bucharest for the Joint Economic Trade Committee meeting. The Romanian host will be the Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Mr. Radu Oprea. They will be discussing exactly these issues.
Romanian Culture and Milestones
What is the Romanian tradition that has impressed you the most since you’ve been in Romania?
H.E. Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: I respect how attached Romanians are to their traditions. One is of course their hospitality and respect for the guest or “musafir”. Many times when I visited an institution I was greeted with bread and salt which I learnt was for honoring the guest.
Is there a Romanian dish that you prefer and that reminds you of the flavors from home in Turkey?
H.E. Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: Obviously sarmale has that effect on our family. But also mamaliga reminds me of our Black Sea region as corn is a main staple of meals. Covrigi is very traditional here and I love it! It also reminds me of the “simit” from my hometown Ankara. They are different of course but the tradition is similar.
As you may know, in October 2024, we will be celebrating the 33rd anniversary of the first edition of Nine O’Clock with the release of a special 150-page commemorative volume titled Interviews, Messages, and Speeches of Ambassadors and CEOs – Happy 33rd Anniversary, Nine O’Clock! This edition will feature over 50 interviews conducted throughout the past year with ambassadors, executives from the banking sector, and multinationals, including today’s interview with you. What is your opinion on this initiative by the newspaper’s new management? Do you believe there is a need for such a publication in today’s market? If so, why?
H.E. Mr. Özgür Kıvanç Altan: I truly appreciate in general the presence of Nine O’Clock in the media in Romania that also targets the diplomatic missions, expat community and businesses including foreign investments. I follow it very closely. Also it seems like a very good idea to recognize and celebrate an important milestone through dedicating a special edition for it. I look forward to receiving a copy of it. I wish all the best to Nine O’Clock!
Your Excellency,
I extend my heartfelt gratitude. Happy Anniversary to the Republic of Türkiye! Wishing you a celebration filled with pride, unity, and the spirit of togetherness.
Andreea Gudin | Nine O’Clock
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