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Sunday, 24 November 2024

Solmaz Unaydın, Ambassador


OK, I had minimal input into 2004 interview, but I had some because I did the copyediting, so I decided to include it with my other interviews.

Not sure who came up with the questions or did the actual interviewing, but it was definitely a non-native English speaker which is why I was paid to give my once over. Some of the questions are pure ass-kissing questions also. Anyway, this is the cleaned-up version of the interview which appeared in Club Life magazine, a kind of in-house magazine for a group of clubs for wealthy "gaijins" and their Japanese friends in Tokyo.
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Club Life: The exhibition 'Three Great Civilizations in Turkey' (The Hittite, the Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires) was very popular, and that visitors waitied up to an hour to enter the museum, and then another hour to get to see the fabulous emerald-encrusted Topkapi dagger, which is one of the most famous artifacts from the Topkapi Palace. Congratulations on the great success of the exhibition. 

Unaydin: Thank you very much. The Turkish embassy and Turkish government authorities have made large contributions to the exhibition, however the cooperation of NHK was even greater. NHK aired many programs featuring our country, and, I gratefully acknowledge, even highlighted me along with Turkish culture. I greatly appreciate the extensive cooperation of His Imperial Highness Prince Tomohito, who chaired the executive committee for the Year of Turkey. I am glad that many Japanese people are interested in our country, and very grateful to them. 

Club Life: The Topkapi dagger is considered a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Only one side can be seen when it is on display in the Topkapi Palace, but the exhibition in Japan was innovative because visitors had the good fortune to see both sides of the fabulous dagger. 

Unaydin: I think of it as a Japanese miracle. The dagger first left our country in 2000 to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the Ottoman Empire in an exhibition in the U.S. ('The Palace of Gold & Light' exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the San Diego Museum of Art, and the Art Museum of Florida), but it wasn't exhibited in a manner in which both sides could be seen, so I was very impressed with the exhibition in Japan.

Club Life: Turkey is a jewel box of a country, with evidence of civilizations ranging from the Neolithic age to modern times apparent everywhere. How do people in Turkey feel about protecting historical buildings and excavating remains for preservation? 

Unaydin: Turkey has an 8,000-year history dating back to 6,000 B.C. The Anatolian region was the birthplace of three great civilizations, and it is believed that there have been 23 other civilizations in the country. As it is difficult to excavate using Turkish people alone, volunteers from around the world pitch in on a daily basis. We have a mission to preserve artifacts as soon as they are excavated, and we hope to have more opportunities to let the world know about the latest historical findings. As part of this, we encorage people from around the world to visit Turkey. 

Club Life:  Last year was a year for Japanese people to get to know Turkey and to learn about the country. Many of those people are looking forward to maintaining this interest on various occasions this year as well. 

Unaydin: Thank you. I have to make further efforts to encourage people to develop an interest in Turkey and to urge more people to visit the country. Today, about 90,000 Japanese tourists visit Turkey every year. The total number of Japanese traveling overseas each year is 17 million, so the figure of 90,000 can easily be doubled. I will try harder to attract more Japanese people and make them feel comfortable visiting my country. 

Club Life: Your career as a woman is admirable. Looking at Turkish history, it was one of the first countries in Europe in which women were permitted to vote and run in national elections, starting in 1934. Japanese women only gained suffrage in 1945, and French women in 1944, so Turkey was relatively advanced. It is also said that the percentage of women who are lawyers, doctors and in other professions in Turkey is higher than the U.S. and other industrialized nations. The position of women in Turkey therefore seems to be very advanced. 

Unaydin: Republicanism has been established for 80 years in Turkey, since the founder of the modern nation, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, released an announcement banning the black "chador" robe that women had to wear. Politics was separated from religion, and men and women were given equal opportunities for education. As a result, the number of women becoming scholars, lawyers, pharmacists, and architects has increased to the same level as men. However, the diplomatic corps has the lowest percentage of women. About half of all women work, with a third of this amount engaged in clerical work and secretarial work, and two-thirds as career workers. 

Club Life: Are there other Turkish female ambassadors like yourself who work on the international stage? 

Unaydin: I was the second Turkish female ambassador. I became ambassador to Sweden in 1992, followed by ambassador to Poland; I was then international trade policy bureau chief at the Foreign Ministry, and I am now ambassador to Japan. It takes only two years for men to be eligible to become ambassadors, but I had to wait for eight years because I am a woman. Currently there are 14 female Turkish ambassadors, and two more will join soon for a total of 16. I personally know Japanese female ambassadors who are very active, and I am sure that the number of female ambassadors will grow in Japan as well. There are 22 female lawmakers in Turkey today, and I think the number of female politicians is increasing in both Turkey and Japan. 

Club Life: Your husband is also an ambassador, isn't he? 

Unaydin: There are several couples in which both husband and wife are diplomats, but it's rare that both are ambassadors. My husband was a diplomat senior to me when I joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When we were in New York, he was consul general and I was counselor. When he became ambassador to Malaysia I went there with him, but when he was ambassador to Serbia in Belgrade I became ambassador to Sweden, so we lived separately. When I came to Japan as ambassador my husband had already retired, so now he goes back and forth between Japan and Turkey. Since we share the same profession, we have a great understanding of each other's work. 

Club Life: Would you tell our readers about the secret of your beauty and your attractive character? You have a distinctive aura, and everyone who has met you says you look like the famous French actress Catherine Deneuve. 

Unaydin: It is true that many people say so (laughs). In addition to paying attention to clothing and skincare on a daily basis, I try to remain very disciplined. I have never forgotten that people look at me as a representative of Turkey. Even if one is competent at work but lacks an attractive appearance, such a person doesn't leave a pleasant impression with others and may give a negative image of one's country. I consider myself to be a role model, so I always try to wear clothing and a hairstyle appropriate to each occasion. 


(Just before the start of this interview the ambassador was on the phone with the Foreign Minister of Turkey. Club Life deeply appreciates her taking this precious time out of her obviously busy schedule to share her thoughts with our readers.) 

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