Second Secretary Tiina Kaarela's introduction
The Embassy welcomed a new Second Secretary at the beginning of August who tells of her background and enthusiasm for Ankara
Merhaba!
My name is Tiina Kaarela and I’m the new Second Secretary at the Embassy of Finland in Ankara. My main tasks include political reporting, especially on the Türkish economy and domestic politics. Before coming to Türkiye, I worked in Helsinki in the Consular Services Department as a desk officer and diplomatic adviser for a year.
A bit surprisingly, my background is in economics. Before joining the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in 2022, I was working for the National Audit Office of Finland. There I spent a few years as the Deputy Secretary General for INTOSAI WGEA, which is an international organization focusing on environmental auditing and sustainable development. "Green" fiscal policy and efficient use of public funds still fascinate me.
Even though my diplomatic career is in the very beginning, I feel like I’m on the right path. Observing complex phenomena from various perspectives is at the same time challenging and inspiring. I think it is crucially important to understand the reasons why we as people as well as nations see things differently. Finding an agreeable solution for opposing viewpoints is sometimes painful yet rewarding.
Life has previously taken me to Germany, France, Switzerland and Sweden. Türkiye is therefore a completely new adventure for me, yet Ankara has already stolen my heart! People are incredibly kind, the streets are full of life and the food is delicious. The only thing I’m slightly worried about is the hectic traffic. Nevertheless, I believe my years in Türkiye are going to be nothing short of amazing.
I’m really looking forward to get to know the Türkish culture and local people. Hopefully I will be able to boost the academic cooperation as well as trade between Finland and Türkiye.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me in case you have ideas for cooperation. You can find me at tiina.kaarela(a)gov.fi. I’m also very happy to hear travel tips in Türkiye and to share my own tips for Finland!
Hepinizle tanıştığıma memnun oldum!
