Buyurun and hoş geldiniz are two Turkish expressions that members of the hospitality and tourism industry of Costa Rica will likely utilize in the near future. These two warm phrases are variations of “welcome,” and they will come in handy when direct flights between Istanbul and San Jose are offered by Turkish Airlines in the future, inşallah (God willing) good relations between Turkey and Costa Rica continue.

 

On the 91^st anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, the Vice Chancellor of the Republic of Costa Rica sent a cordial message to this European and Southeast Asian nation and also took time to highlight the diplomatic strengthening between the two nations.

 

Vice Chancellor Alejandro Solano Ortiz underscored that the Republic of Turkey, founded in the 20^th century by Mustafá Kemal Atatürk, presents a great diplomatic opportunity for Costa Rica. In a recent communique by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vice Chancellor recalled the October visit of Chancellor Manuel Gonzalez Saenz to Turkey, when he took the opportunity to open Costa Rica’s first embassy in Ankara.

 

Costa Rica and Turkey have maintained constant diplomatic relations since 1950, but in recent years these two nations have strengthened their diplomatic ties, particularly with regard to agricultural trade and tourism. Ambassador Ali Findik has been proactive and instrumental in bringing the two nations closer together.

 

Aside from trade and tourism, Turkish and Tico diplomats have vowed to explore possible exchanges in educational, scientific and business matters.