(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown Guyana) – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Republic of Türkiye have renewed diplomatic ties with the accreditation of a new Ambassador from Türkiye.
Welcoming Her Excellency Ayșe Selcan Şanli, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett highlighted the potential for increased technical cooperation between CARICOM and Türkiye.
She recalled a 2011 Memorandum of Understanding that established the CARICOM-Türkiye Consultation and Cooperation Mechanism, and led to fruitful discussions, including Türkiye’s participation in the 2014 Inter-Sessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and a Ministerial-level meeting in Istanbul.
Highlighting Türkiye’s support over the period, Dr Barnett highlighted its contributions to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the Caribbean Development Fund (CDF), as well as scholarships which enhance regional capacity-building.
She said that internationally, CARICOM and Türkiye share a common stance on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, advocating for an end to hostilities, immediate humanitarian assistance, and a two-state solution for lasting peace.
“Our shared dedication to multilateralism and international law provides a strong foundation for common positions on critical global issues, including climate change and United Nations Security Council reform,” Dr. Barnett stated.
Acknowledging the critical nature of the multifaceted crisis in Haiti, she called on Türkiye to echo CARICOM’s call for the international community to “remain engaged and contribute to the process of restoring stability.”
Dr. Barnett also urged Türkiye to collaborate with CARICOM on climate change, rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and climate financing, advocating for greater international urgency on these issues.
Ambassador Şanli said that Türkiye values the Region as an important place, describing the Community as “the voice of global conscience.”
Despite geographical differences, she said both CARICOM and Türkiye share common challenges like natural disasters and climate change, which are priority areas where they can enhance cooperation. Noting that humanitarian diplomacy is central to Türkiye’s foreign policy, Ambassador Şanli said it provided financial assistance after Hurricane Beryl.
The Ambassador said that Türkiye is also interested in enhancing trade and investments with CARICOM, stating,
“We are willing to start free trade negotiations with CARICOM. In this context, the private sector driven Foreign Economic Relations Board DEİK has established an exclusive Trade Council for the Caribbean.”
