Interview with Her Excellency, Berris Ekinci, Ambassador of Turkey in Cuba

It has been said (Feinberg, R., 2016) that a lack of data and access to interviews with Cuba’s officials and executives has made it difficult to present a clear picture of foreign investment and economic development in Cuba, thus resulting in a scarcity of information. Part One: Government attempts to resolve some of the mystery by examining the various perspectives of officials from Cuba and abroad. Collectively, these show the possibility for dialogue, cooperation, and negotiation between different systems of governments and their representatives. This chapter is an interview with the Turkish Ambassador to Cuba, Her Excellency Berris Ekinci. This interview took place online during the pandemic in November 2020. Turkey has shared long relations with Cuba dating back to the nineteenth-century Ottoman Empire. In 1873, they opened a consulate in Havana. Two factors influenced the development of this relationship. The Ottoman Empire’s view of the New World had changed, and Cuba’s fight for independence attracted its attention. Since the mid-nineties, high-level bilateral visits by Turkish and Cuban officials have taken place, paving the way to deepening relations. Our discussions covered the successes, challenges, and prospects for future Turkish business on the Island, the desire for deeper cooperation in agriculture, and the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency’s chickpea project in Sancti Spiritus. We took a look at Turkey’s partnerships with Cuba in the energy and biopharmaceutical sectors. Ambassador Ekinci also spoke of her nation’s perspective on U.S. sanctions against Cuba.