Residence
»
AIRLINE NEWS
»
TAV Airports CEO Serkan Kaptan Named Latvia’s Honorary Consul in Istanbul as New Consulate Launches
Saturday, October 26, 2024
TAV Airports CEO Serkan Kaptan has been named the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Latvia in Istanbul. The inauguration ceremony noticed a gathering of diplomats, authorities officers, and enterprise leaders.
The brand new Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Latvia, overseeing the areas of Istanbul, Edirne, Tekirdağ, and Kırklareli in northwestern Turkey, was formally opened. Distinguished attendees included Latvia’s Minister of International Affairs, H.E. Baiba Braže, Latvia’s Ambassador to Turkey, Bahtijors Hasans, and Turkish Ministry of International Affairs Consultant in Istanbul, Ambassador Ayşe Sözen Usluer, together with different company.
In the course of the ceremony, Minister of International Affairs of Latvia, H.E. Baiba Braže said: “Next year, in 2025, we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Latvia and Türkiye. Our relations are strong and thriving across three key pillars. First, security: we are committed allies in NATO, and we truly appreciate Türkiye’s contribution to strengthening the Alliance’s eastern flank, including air policing, as well as its support for Ukraine. The second pillar is the economy: our trading relationship continues to grow, from 370 million EUR in 2021 to 410 million EUR in 2023. This year, that trend is continuing, but we can and should be more ambitious. The third pillar is people-to-people connections, including education, tourism, and more. These links are crucial, which is why I find it so important to be here today to open Latvia’s new Honorary Consulate in Istanbul.”
TAV Airports CEO and the Honorary Consul of Latvia, Serkan Kaptan mentioned “Turkey and Latvia have a protracted historical past of fine relations. Turkey acknowledged the Republic of Latvia in 1925 and opened its first consulate within the Baltic area in Riga in 1929. The commerce quantity between the 2 international locations reaches 700 million {dollars} yearly. I imagine there may be potential to extend bilateral commerce and investments.
The relations, particularly within the fields of training and tourism, carry the folks of the 2 international locations nearer. Because of the Erasmus scholar alternate program 1.621 Turkish college students went to Latvia and 430 Latvian college students got here to Türkiye, over the last decade. Practically 120 000 Latvians visited Türkiye in final 12 months and I’m assured that increasingly more Turkish residents might be discovering the beauties of Latvia.
As TAV Airports, we’ve got been working at Riga Airport since 2009. We’re happy to contribute to the success of Riga Airport and the nation’s flag service airline, Air Baltic. Moreover, because the Chairman of the Turkey-Latvia Enterprise Council, I’ve been working for the event of relations between the enterprise folks of the 2 international locations. With its historic, cultural, and pure riches, educated and hospitable folks, it’s a main hub within the Baltic area and Northern Europe. I want to thank Her Excellency Minister Braže for her belief. Because the Honorary Consul, I might be privileged to contribute to the event of relations between the 2 international locations”.
With over 25 years of experience in airport and airline operations and public-private infrastructure tasks, Serkan Kaptan started his journey with TAV Airports in 1998. Initially targeted on driving enterprise growth, airline advertising, analysis, and investments, he was later promoted to Deputy CEO in 2016. On this function, he served on the boards of all TAV Airports’ subsidiaries, finally taking over the CEO function in Might 2022. As a Member of ADP’s Government Board, he oversees operations throughout Central Asia, the Center East, Africa, Jap Europe, and CIS areas. Kaptan additionally contributes as a Board Member of the Service Exporters’ Affiliation (HIB) and leads as Chairman of the DEIK Turkey-Latvia Enterprise Council. In 2021, he was elected to the Board of Administrators for the European Area of Airports Council Worldwide (ACI Europe).
