The Honorary Consul of Finland in Antalya Mr. Koray Turan: "for me, people are the priority."
This is the second part of our series introducing all Honorary Consuls of Finland in Turkey. Koray Turan is the Honorary Consul in Antalya and has served as Honorary Consul since 2012.
When Mr. Turan was asked to be an Honorary Consul of Finland in Turkey Antalya, he did not hesitate to say yes. Only later on, he wondered what he agreed to. Still, he feels the decision was only positive. Mr. Turan sees Finland as a high reputation country and talks about the relationship between Finland and Turkey. "Since Atatürk, there has been high respect towards Finland, and the people of Finland are part of our country."
Before coming as Honorary Consul, Mr. Turan had some experience in Finland because he had traveled to the country many times for tourism. He also trained employees of Hotel Kämp in Helsinki before opening the hotel after renovation. There he experienced the true character of Finn. Mr. Turan remembers how at the beginning of the training, he received no feedback from the participants and thought there was something wrong with his presentation. He was told that Finns are quiet and reserved in the beginning and slowly warming overall, but when you get to know them, they are warm and loyal people. "That was true, actually," confirms Mr. Turan.
When asked about the most crucial area to cover as an Honorary Consul, Mr. Turan answers immediately, "people are the priority." He tells many different stories that he has experienced with Finns. The stories honestly give an impression of how the encounters have been impressive on both sides. Sometimes the calls of Finns' challenges in the Antalya area come at night. Even though Mr. Turan has an assistant, sometimes they are so busy helping people that both of their work efforts are highly needed. In addition, some cases are the type that the Honorary Consul has to attend to himself.
Even though there are times when many things need to be handled at once, Mr. Turan feels being an Honorary Consul is very rewarding. "It is a wonderful feeling to help people and to be able to serve them." One of the best memories of being an Honorary Consul is related to football. The entire embassy staff participated when the football match was organized in Antalya between Finland and Turkey. That needed extra safety protocols and numerous calls to different people, including the mayor and governor. Of course, Mr. Turan was required to put all in, but in the end, everything worked well and all the effort paid off.
For Mr. Turan, Antalya is a special place, primarily because of its pleasant weather and beautifully colored sea. The temperature does not drop below 15, even during the coldest period of winter. However, the summer months, July and August, are the hottest. Those are the only months Mr. Turan does not enjoy that much. Outside the position of Honorary Consul, Mr. Turan runs a travel agency in Antalya, which provides various tourist services. Mr. Turan has become very familiar with the challenges that may appear for people during their holidays. Still, he is able and willing to support those people through his positions.
