Embassy of the Philippines, Ankara

Although the Philippines and Turkey established diplomatic relations on June 13, 1949,^[1] relations between the two countries were historically conducted through other missions, most recently the Philippine Embassy in Tehran which assumed jurisdiction over Turkey in 1975.^[2] An honorary consulate headed by Ömer Yalnızoğlu was later opened to represent Philippine interests in Turkey.^[2]

The Philippine Embassy in Ankara opened in 1991, following the opening of the Turkish Embassy in Manila the year before.^[3] Bonifacio P. Arribas was then appointed as the country's first resident ambassador to Turkey, presenting his credentials to Turkish President Turgut Özal on October 30, 1991.^[1]

The embassy was the only Philippine diplomatic mission in Turkey until it, acting on instructions from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), issued a note verbale requesting permission from the Turkish government to open a resident Philippine consulate in Istanbul, the country's largest city, on October 2, 2019. The Turkish government subsequently granted permission nearly three weeks later, and the Philippine Consulate General in Istanbul opened on January 2, 2020.^[4]

Until 2015, the chancery of the Philippine Embassy in Ankara was located on 56 Mahatma Gandhi Avenue in the neighboring Büyükesat neighborhood,^[5] across from the Betül Can Anatolian High School.^[6]

On August 27, 2015, the embassy announced that it was relocating to a new chancery 950 meters (0.59 mi) to the southwest on Kumkapı Sokak.^[6] Opening on September 1, 2015,^[7] the new chancery is a five-storey standalone structure initially leased to the Philippine government until December 31, 2020, with the building also containing a basement and parking facilities.^[8]

In the 2017–2022 Philippine Development Plan, the Philippine government identified as a priority project the acquisition of a property in Ankara to serve as a permanent chancery, budgeting over ₱300 million for this purpose and assigning the DFA to serve as the implementing agency.^[8]

The Philippine Embassy in Ankara is provisionally headed by a chargé d'affaires, pending the reception of a new ambassador appointed by the Philippine government. The current chargé d'affaires is Juan E. Dayang Jr., while the last resident ambassador was Henry S. Bensurto Jr., who was appointed to the position by President Bongbong Marcos on March 24, 2023.^[9] Prior to his appointment as ambassador, Bensurto, a career diplomat and a lawyer by training,^[10] served as the DFA's Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs,^[11] and before that served as consul general at the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco.^[12] His appointment was subsequently confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on May 31, 2023,^[13] and he presented his credentials to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 12, 2024.^[14]

The embassy's activities center around ensuring the welfare of Filipinos in Turkey, especially during natural disasters. After the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes it organized relief efforts for Filipinos in the earthquake zone,^[15] conducted evacuations from the zone to Ankara,^[16] and facilitated the entry of the country's search and rescue contingent to help in earthquake relief efforts,^[17] something which the Turkish government later honored the country for.^[18] It is also involved in promoting and deepening cultural, economic and political ties between the Philippines and Turkey, including facilitating educational visits to Turkish higher education institutions,^[19] promoting Philippine culture at events such as the Istanbul Biennial,^[20] and allowing Filipinos in Turkey to reconnect with Filipino culture through activities such as an annual parol workshop.^[21]

Beyond Turkey, the embassy's jurisdiction also includes Azerbaijan and, since 2005, Georgia, with honorary consuls subordinate to the embassy being present in both countries.^[1]