Czech Republic Consul General Olga Hajflerová on 12punto: "For me, Istanbul is the center of the world!"

12punto hosted an important name from the world of diplomacy on its screens, the Consul General of the Czech Republic in Istanbul, Ms. Olga Hajflerová. 

Describing her inspiring career journey that began as a student activist and led to the Velvet Revolution, Hajflerová touched upon many important topics, from her life in Istanbul to Turkey-Czechia relations. She provided extremely clear and insightful advice, especially regarding the "Schengen visa processes, appointment density, and reasons for rejection," which Turkish citizens are most curious about.


- Welcome to the 12punto YouTube channel. Today, we have a very special guest from the world of diplomacy. Czech Republic Consul General Olga Hajflerová is with us. Madam Consul General, welcome; we are pleased to have you with us today.

Thank you very much, and welcome to the Czech Consulate.

- First of all, I would like to ask how you started your diplomatic career and what your main motivation behind it was.

I was asked to give very short answers, but this will be longer than expected because I am not a very typical diplomat. I started my career in 1989 as a student activist. I joined the movement against the communist regime as a student participant and became a part of the Velvet Revolution as a young student. I had the opportunity to meet the leading figures of the Velvet Revolution, and of course, I began to feel how important it is to be active in the public sphere, in politics, and in civil society. Therefore, I was a civil and human rights activist while I was still studying science, and after completing my education as a biologist, I worked as a scientist for a year, but I realized that it was not for me, so I returned to civil society activities and eventually applied to join the Czech diplomatic service 26 years ago. So, for me, the source of inspiration in the beginning was the importance of being active in politics and the public sphere, and I understood the necessity of giving back the interest we received from abroad in some way, and the need for states to pay attention to and support each other. I have been trying to be a part of this ever since, and I have been a part of Czech diplomacy for 26 years.

- You have worked in many different places in various sectors or different geographical regions. What was the most interesting or difficult part of adapting to this life?

Look, when I was young, I was not aware of the logistical or practical difficulties, so moving around and adapting to new places and new cultures was very easy for me, but as you get older, when you have a family, it is always a big issue of change for the family and for your relationships with friends and extended families.

As you get older, things get harder, but there are also benefits to be gained from this life; you get to know and discover new places and new cultures, and as I always say, you live several different lives in a single lifetime, so it is still fascinating and worth it for me. But of course, I must say that you need to be open-minded, have patience with time to help you settle in, and accept different places, people, and cultures; but in return, you become incredibly enriched and happy.

- So, in your opinion, what are the three most important qualities for a diplomat?

As I mentioned before, I think openness to new things, that is, being ready to learn for your whole life.

You need to learn not only languages but also facts, learn different agendas, and meet new people; therefore, being ready to learn is extremely important. And of course, communication skills, and as I always underline, it is not just the ability to communicate what you want or who you are and to communicate actively, but being a good listener and a good observer is equally, if not more, important for a diplomat; because for a diplomat, it is very important to understand what is not said, to read between the lines, and of course, to truly understand and respect the other side of the table and the other people you meet.

- Now I would like to ask more questions focused on Istanbul and Turkey. What do you think about living and working in Istanbul? Was it easy to adapt to life here?

This is a very special question because living here is wonderful. For me, since I have changed my work topics very often throughout my life, I feel like I have found a place for myself. I have covered diplomatic and political topics ranging from human rights to the European Union, NATO, security, development cooperation, and different regions, so I have kept my range very wide.

Sometimes I would ask myself if this was too broad, if it made sense. When I came to Istanbul, I was truly amazed because everything comes together here, because for me, Istanbul is the center of the world. So, for a diplomat, everything happens here; cultural, historical, academic, economic, and political issues, of course.

So, everything is happening here, and everything I have done so far is useful for me to work with all the possibilities and challenges here. It is truly fascinating. If you are asking if it is easy, I am not looking for something easy.

I want to spend a fulfilling time here and truly strengthen the ties between the Czech Republic and Turkey, and between Europe and Turkey, because I think the closer and stronger our ties are, the better it is for both sides. And I deeply believe that every step, every meeting, every initiative, and every project is truly meaningful, especially in these uncertain times, to ensure that we are in the same boat. So, it is not easy, it is very intense, sometimes very challenging, but it is very satisfying and very happy.

- So, are there any similarities between the Czech Republic and Turkey?

Absolutely. I think Turks and often Czechs are surprised when they come here for normal trips, tourist trips, or for business, education, or academic purposes. Both sides are surprised by the similarities because we are mostly told about the differences, different religions, and different histories.

But I assure you, during these three years, I have only encountered similarities. I think the reason for this is that Istanbul, as I said, is at the center of the world, at the crossroads, and has always been so. The Czech Republic is, of course, more modest, but we have also been located in the center of Europe, with all its pros and cons.

So, we are resourceful, we always find a way, we are very open-minded, we can reconcile different interests, and we are very good at finding technical and innovative solutions. I hope I can claim that these similarities, and of course, Czechs are as friendly as Turks. Still, we have some limits because Turks are truly wonderful people.

So, as a Czech, when I see Turkish people, I always feel that we should be even friendlier, but I still think we are very friendly. Therefore, for people, tourists, students, business people, and academics, the Czech Republic is a very good place to come for a short or long term and to discover Europe from many different perspectives; for example, economy, culture, and science. That is why I think we can offer each other a lot and that we should always emphasize our similarities rather than the small differences we have.

- How do you evaluate the current relations between the Czech Republic and Turkey, and what are your main goals as Consul General?

As I mentioned before, my general mission here is to open the eyes of the Czech Republic and Europe to Turkey and the immense potential that Turkey has. At the same time, of course, I want to continue to open Turkey's eyes to the Czech Republic and Europe. And my general mission, I repeat, is to contribute to our strongest ties.

It may sound like a cliché, but I think this is exactly the task we have undertaken here as diplomatic missions; we must truly stick together, especially due to external and internal pressures, and we must know this. Therefore, the better we know each other, the more we accept each other, and the more we identify concrete projects and work we can do together, the better it will be. And of course, my duty here as Consul General is partly to provide consular services to Czech citizens and to provide visa services to Turkish citizens.

However, the topic I am most interested in is economic relations. You know that our economic exchange has been growing steadily and very strongly in recent years. Therefore, we are very strong in economic cooperation and we are getting stronger every year.

Cultural awareness, let's say. We are trying to promote the Czech Republic here not only as an economic partner but also as a beautiful place to visit. By the way, we just opened our exhibition at Işık Nişantaşı, just around the corner.

This exhibition reflects the beauty of our country through the lens of Turkish photographer Mr. İzzet Keribar, so to speak. We were very lucky because he also took beautiful photos of other places in Czechia, as well as Prague. Therefore, those who are in Prague or planning to go can visit this exhibition in Nişantaşı until the end of April.

So, cultural exchange, scientific, academic exchange, students. Of course, it is a special pleasure for me to meet with student groups, talk to them, and present the closeness and togetherness between our countries here.

- Finally, you mentioned traveling around your beautiful country, and most Turkish citizens are discussing the visa process. Do you have any suggestions for Turkish citizens as Consul General?

Absolutely. You know, I very often encounter claims that getting a visa is not easy and sometimes impossible. If you allow me, I would like to emphasize that we are always happy for Turkish tourists, Turkish students, Turkish business people, and scientists to visit the Czech Republic, and even to work and live here.

I think our duty is to distinguish between those who really want to go there and those who do not, or those who do not want to use their visas as they declare, those who do things that will put us at risk, or those who go somewhere else. Therefore, making a decision about visas is a very difficult task for my colleagues. I would like to emphasize that our visa rejection rate is around 10-15%.

So, in other words, 85% or 90% of the thousands of candidates who apply here get a visa. Please keep this in mind. We are still able to meet the ever-increasing demand.

We are able to manage the demand in such a way that everyone who applies for a visa can usually get an application appointment within three months. I know it sounds like a very long time, but people usually plan their education or travel well in advance. Therefore, my most important advice will be quite logical.

Please apply as soon as the idea of going there comes to your mind, because the longer you wait for an application appointment, the worse it is for both you and us, because we are experiencing an appointment shortage. We offer the opportunity to benefit from a faster mechanism, especially for students and business people. Business people and students know this if they visit our website, so there is always a possibility for them.

The second and final most important advice is included in the application: Please do not tell us something that is not true. We need to make sure that the applicant is really traveling to the Czech Republic as the first or most important destination among other places, and we need to know that both travel and accommodation reservations are valid and that all documents are correct and valid. If these are fulfilled, we will gladly grant the visa, because logically, if we reject the visa, a problem occurs in the whole system, because the person applies to us or someone else in the Schengen area again.

Therefore, we certainly have no intention of blocking the access of Turkish citizens, and as I said, the only thing we do here is to increase contacts, so it would be a bit crazy to impose some restrictions. Finally, I would like to state that Turkey also has a visa regime with some countries, meaning every country controls its own borders and security. The difference for us is that we are part of the Schengen area, so of course, we have to follow collective rules, but we try to be as open as possible in this way, and we truly believe that we should be, so I hope we can provide this service well for Turkish citizens.

- Madam Consul General, thank you very much. It was a pleasure to host you on our 12punto channel. Is there anything else you would like to add?

If you allow me, I would like to add one more small thing.

You were asking about our activities. There is a poster about our events behind me. This is a cultural event, but it is also an event introducing Václav Havel, who is a very important playwright, thinker, politician, and former dissident.

And of course, we are talking about a famous president, and we will re-release the film about his life and ideas within the scope of the Beyoğlu Film Festival, so we will also send invitations from our Facebook page. Therefore, I would like to invite young people in particular to attend the Václav Havel film screening at the Beyoğlu Film Festival. Thank you.

- Thank you





Interview: İlkcan Kemer
Camera: Sercan Meriç
Translation: Ekrem Topuz
Editing: Cihan Beştaş