Erdoğan receives new ambassadors to Türkiye
New Danish ambassador Ole Toft (L) presents his letter of credentials to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ankara, Türkiye, Aug. 29, 2024. (AA Photo)


President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday received letters of credentials from ambassadors of six countries.

Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef from the Maldives, Ole Toft from Denmark, Guillaume Bertrand Scheurer from Switzerland, Nicholas Peter Andoh from Ghana, Sibylle Katharina Sorg from Germany and Bahtijor Hasans from Latvia met Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex after their appointment. During the ceremony, the president posed for photos of each new envoy, their families and the embassy staff.

Türkiye maintains close relations with the Maldives, although the nation of the Indian Ocean island appointed its first-ever resident ambassador to Türkiye in July. As lieutenant general, Latheef served as chief of the Maldives Defense Force until this April. From December 2018 to last November, he served as deputy armed forces chief. The Indian Ocean island nation decided to open a diplomatic mission in Ankara last December, following Muizzu's official trip to Türkiye. Erdogan hosted Muizzu and his delegation in the capital, Ankara, last November. The countries established diplomatic ties in 1979.

Türkiye and Denmark established relations shortly after the foundation of the Republic of Türkiye, and they maintain a relatively fine trade volume while Türkiye received about $671 million in direct investment from Denmark between 2002 and 2023.

Switzerland-Türkiye relations date back to Ottoman times and Switzerland hosts a Turkish community of about 180,000 people.