Turkey celebrates 75 years of relations with nine Latin American and Caribbean countries, with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ankara and the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations with nine countries in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region: “On the basis of our strategy to develop multifaceted relations with the countries of the Latin America and Caribbean region, we are greatly pleased with the level of cooperation we have reached with these countries today,” the text released from Ankara read.
“Bilateral relations have diversified and deepened across a wide spectrum —including diplomatic, political, economic, humanitarian, and cultural dimensions— and our presence in regional organizations has become prominent,” added the ministerial statement, which also set the goal of further expanding cooperation with the countries of the region for mutual benefit and prosperity.
Turkey has tripled its embassies in Latin America in 20 years
According to the Turkish news agency Anatolia, Turkey’s policy of rapprochement towards the region dates back to 1998 and was renewed in 2006, which was designated as the ‘Year of Latin America and the Caribbean’. While at that time Ankara had only six embassies in countries in the region, as of February 2025 the number had risen to 19 embassies and a consulate general, following the opening of a mission in Nicaragua’s capital, Managua. In turn, countries in the LAC region currently have 18 embassies and eight consulates in Türkiye.
Turkey has bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements with 7 countries in the region, double taxation avoidance agreements with 6 countries, and free trade agreements with two nations. On the other hand, Turkey maintains military attaché offices in 5 Latin American and Caribbean countries with the aim of developing military cooperation with the region and promoting defence industry products; to this end, in April 2024 the Turkish defence company ASELSAN opened its Latin American office in Santiago de Chile. In addition to cooperation and exchange of experiences in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal immigration – common problems faced by the countries in the region – the aim is to promote the Turkish defence industry and modernise the LAC armed forces‘ military vehicles and equipment.
Bilateral trade, which at the turn of the century was only around $1 billion, reached $15.6 billion by the end of 2024. To further expand the trade volume, Turkey has commercial offices and attachés in 10 countries in the region, as well as 12 business councils – under the Council on Foreign Economic Relations – that promote investment.
Companies such as Turkish Airlines (THY) now fly to 9 destinations in 8 countries in the region, while cultural centres such as the Yunus Emre Institute (YEE) and the Türkiye Maarif Foundation (TMV) are responding to the growing interest in Turkish language and culture, especially through the influence of Turkish TV series. Development cooperation through the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) is another important factor in Turkey’s relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries: it is estimated that, to date, TİKA has implemented more than 500 projects through its two regional coordination offices in the region.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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