Turkish Foreign Ministry to open İzmir office

The Foreign Ministry has decided to open an office in the Aegean city of İzmir, Turkey’s third-largest metropolitan area, in a move to turn the city into a diplomatic hub. “İzmir will be our third city having such an office after Ankara and Istanbul. We have already appointed an ambassador who will begin working in late June or early July,” Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters in İzmir during a trip over the weekend. Ambassador Dicle Kopuz will head the Foreign Ministry office in İzmir, Davutoğlu said. “We will turn İzmir into an important diplomatic center. Then we have a similar plan for Antalya as well. We will open an office in Antalya very soon,” he said. While in İzmir, Davutoğlu participated in conferences on Turkish foreign policy and visited wounded Libyans who had been brought to Turkey for treatment. Thanking local officials for organizing the assistance and for the hospitality they showed to the Libyan guests, Davutoğlu said this experience demonstrated once again the privileged status of İzmir. One of Turkey’s busiest ports and most important tourism centers, İzmir hosts consulates and honorary consulates for many prominent countries.