New Zealand–Turkey relations are the bilateral relationship between New Zealand and the Republic of Turkey.

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

formalised diplomatic relations between both countries in 1979 but had unofficial forms of contact with each other prior to 1979. Both New Zealand and Turkey are members of numerous organisations such as the

OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate e ...

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and ...

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

and

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

. New Zealand has an embassy in

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

and Turkey has an embassy in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

Country Comparison

The Republic of Turkey is the official name of Turkey. The state also encompasses a total land area of 769,630 square km. Turkey has a population of 84,339,067 and has a population density of 110 square km. The capital of Turkey is Ankara and the largest city within Turkey is

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

. Istanbul has a population of 15,415,000. The first head of state was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the current leader is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The Republic of Turkey was established October 1923. The Republic of Turkey overthrew the previous Ottoman government through the

Turkish National Movement The Turkish National Movement ( tr, Türk Ulusal Hareketi) encompasses the political and military activities of the Turkish revolutionaries that resulted in the creation and shaping of the modern Republic of Turkey, as a consequence of the def ...

. The official language of Turkey is

Turkish language Turkish ( , ), also referred to as Turkish of Turkey (''Türkiye Türkçesi''), is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around 80 to 90 million speakers. It is the national language of Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Significant sma ...

, and the currency is the Lira. The GDP (nominal) of Turkey is 719,954,821.68 and its GDP per capita is 8,536.40. New Zealand also called Aotearoa is an island nation in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The country encompasses a land area of 263,310 square km. The population of New Zealand is 5,084,300. The population density is 19 square km. The capital city of New Zealand is

and the largest city in New Zealand is

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

. The current leader of New Zealand is

Chris Hipkins Christopher John Hipkins (born 5 September 1978) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician and a member of the Sixth Labour Government's Cabinet as Minister of Education, Minister of Police, Minister for the Public Service and Leader of the ...

. The official language of New Zealand is English, New Zealand Sign Language and Māori language. The official currency name is the New Zealand Dollar. The GDP (nominal) of New Zealand is 210,700,848.97 and its GDP per capita is 41,441.5.

Background

New Zealand's historical relationship with Turkey is highly connected to the British relationship with Turkey and the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. New Zealand first relationship with Turkey is centred around

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and the Gallipoli campaign. In WW1 the Ottoman Empire who is the predecessor state to the modern state of Turkey and the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

were on opposing sides. The British was on the side of the

Allies of World War I The Allies of World War I, Entente (alliance), Entente Powers, or Allied Powers were a coalition of countries led by French Third Republic, France, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom, Russian Empire, Russia, King ...

and the Ottoman Empire was on the side of the

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...

. New Zealand being a part of the British Empire was on the side of the Allied Powers. In WW1 the allied powers opened an offensive front in Gallipoli in 1915. The main combatants on the side of the allies were the British, French, and

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood com ...

(ANZACs). On the side of the Central Powers were the Ottoman Empire supported by the German Empire and

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. In the Gallipoli campaign the number of casualties and losses for the allies totalled 141,547 where 2,779 New Zealanders were killed and 5,212 were wounded and on the Ottoman side there 251,309 casualties and losses where 86,692 were killed. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Turkey was a neutral power until the later stages of the war where Turkey declared war against

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of Japan, 1947 constitu ...

in 1945. New Zealand declared war against Germany in 1939 and Japan in 1941. In WW2 both Turkey and New Zealand were on the same side. Post WW2 the

was founded and both Turkey and New Zealand were both founding members of the UN.

History

In January 1992 Turkey opened an embassy in

, with New Zealand opening an embassy in

in 1993. A memorial to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the commander of the Turkish forces at Gallipoli who went on to become the founder of modern Turkey, is sited at Tarakina Bay overlooking the entrance to Wellington harbour. On 23 October 2021, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared the New Zealand Ambassador Wendy Hinton " persona non grata" after she joined the ambassadors of nine other Western countries including the United States, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden in calling for the release of the imprisoned businessman and philanthropist

Osman Kavala Osman Kavala (born 2 October 1957) is a businessman, activist and philanthropist who has supported numerous civil society organizations in Turkey since the early 1990s. Kavala is the founder and chair of the board of Anadolu Kültür, an Istanbu ...

. On 25 October, Erdogan backtracked on his initial threats to expel the ten ambassadors following criticism from opposition parties, stating that the diplomats had fulfilled their commitment to Article 41 of the

Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries. Its aim is to facilitate "the development of friendly relations" among government ...

and that they would be more careful in their future statements. In 2023, Following the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes in which a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, resulting in thousands of casualties and widespread damage, the New Zealand government responded by committing $1.5 million in humanitarian support to assist in the relief efforts. The financial assistance was given to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, would support the delivery of essential relief items such as food, medical aid, and psychological support to affected individuals in both countries. The government indicated that further support may be provided as needed. The earthquake prompted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to advise all New Zealanders in Turkey to follow the advice of local authorities and register their details on the SafeTravel website. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins also expressed condolences to those affected by the disaster and noted that New Zealand, having experienced earthquakes before, had a special connection with those affected.

Diplomatic Relationship

New Zealand and Turkey has had a range of diplomatic relations since the start of official diplomatic relations in 1979. New Zealand and Turkey have a range of diplomatic relations including foreign policy, military relations, and economic relations. New Zealand is a part of numerous international organisations such as the United Nations (UN), The World Trade Organisation (WTO),

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...

(IMF),

Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field offic ...

, and

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

(APEC). The organisations that New Zealand is part of tend to be regionally in Asia or the Pacific Islands or large international organisations such as the IMF, UN, and the World Bank. Turkey is also part of numerous international organisations such as the United Nations (UN), The World trade organisation (WTO), the World Health Organisation (WHO), The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World bank,

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...

, The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, pro ...

. The organisations that Turkey tend of be part of is either cultural organisations, regional organisations, or large international organisations such as the World Bank. Turkey and New Zealand also has a significant trade and economic relationship. The trade relationship is currently worth around 255 million (NZD). The trade volume has reduced since its height in 2019. In 2019 the trade relationship was worth around 367 million (NZD). Globally the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

has impacted the trading relationship globally including the trade relationship between New Zealand and Turkey. Despite Turkey and the West being allies due to

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

there has been tension in the relationship. New Zealand being close partners with NATO countries is align in this foreign policy outlook. New Zealand has also mentioned issues with Turkey's rule of law, and it return Turkey has stated that their judiciary system is independent.

Contemporary Relationship

New Zealand and Turkey relations encompass a range of different sectors from economic, military, foreign relations and academic. New Zealand and Turkey are both countries which take part in a range of different international organisations such as the WTO, WHO and UN.

Educational

There is a strong ongoing relationship between New Zealand and Turkey in the realm of educational and academic exchange. There is ongoing exchange programs between New Zealand and Turkey such as the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

exchange program with the Middle East Technical University.

War on Terror

In the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

and the global war on terror. Both New Zealand and Turkey have been active participants in the global war on terror. New Zealand and Turkey both participated in the

International Security Assistance Force ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

Resolution 1386 which authorised the establishment of the

(ISAF) to assist the

Afghan Interim Administration The Afghan Interim Administration (AIA), also known as the Afghan Interim Authority, was the first administration of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime and was the highest authority of the country from 22 December 2001 until 13 July ...

. ISAF's primary goal was to train the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and assist Afghanistan in rebuilding key government institutions. It later took part in the

war in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...

against the

Taliban insurgency {{Infobox military conflict , partof = the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the Afghanistan conflict , image = 2021 Taliban Offensive.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Map of the 2021 Taliban of ...

Iraq War

On 1 March 2003, The Turkish parliament rejected being an active member of the US-led coalition forces in Iraq. This decision from the

Grand National Assembly of Turkey The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Const ...

was seen as a reaction against the unilateral action of

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and a desire to keep Turkey away from the Iraq war. Turkey not being an active participant in the

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...

came at a cost of Kurdish leaders of Iraq gaining more power due to allying with the US during the war. New Zealand contributed a small engineering and support force to assist in post-war reconstruction and provision of humanitarian aid. New Zealand staff officers are still working with coalition forces to this day. New Zealand and some long-standing US allies which include

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

opposed the Invasion of Iraq. These leaders argued that there was no evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that invading the country was not justified. Chemical Warheads, shells and aviation bombs were discovered during the Iraq War but these were built earlier in Saddam rule prior to the 1991 Gulf War.

Covid-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease has spread worldwide leading to an ongoing global pandemic. Countries have taken stances to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on their countries. In the COVID-19 pandemic both Turkey and New Zealand took similar responses. New Zealand and Turkey initiated and restricted international travel initially just from China where it was first identified but then gradually expanded to numerous countries such as Italy and America. New Zealand and Turkey also conducted lockdowns and restrictions to reduce community spread. In this pandemic both countries also underwent struggles such as shortages of toilet paper and masks. The introduction of new COVID-19 variants such as

SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in India in late 2020. The Delta variant was named on 31 May 2021 and had spread to over 179 countries by 22 November 2021. The ...

and

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...

has introduced new restrictions in both New Zealand and Turkey despite this however COVID-19 cases are increasing in both countries due to the omicron variant. Turkey and New Zealand both have a high vaccination rates with both Turkey and New Zealand having more than half their population being fully vaccination from COVID-19.

Visits

Head of State

Prime Minister

Minister of foreign Affairs

References

External links

New Zealand embassy in Ankara
(also covers Jordan and Israel Embassy)
Turkish embassy in Wellington

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade about relations with Turkey

Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affaires about relations with New Zealand
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Zealand-Turkey relations

Bilateral relations of Turkey