The new appointment decree covers 51 names who have been appointed to new missions.

President Abdullah Gül's Foreign Affairs Chief Advisor Mehmet Ferden Carikci was appointed as permanent representative to the UN Geneva office, while Assistant Undersecretary Mehmet Fatih Ceylan was appointed as NATO permanent representative. EU Ministry Undersecretary Mehmet Haluk Ilicak was also appointed to the World Trade Organization's permanent representation. Emine Birnur Fertekligil was appointed to UN's Vienna permanent representation and Mithat Rende was appointed as the permanent representative for OECD.

Nations Eritrea, Brunei, Cambodia, Panama and the Dominican Republic are Turkey's newest missions to have appointed ambassadors.

Turkey is among the top ten countries with highest number of foreign missions in the world

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said Turkey ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest number of foreign missions in the world.

Addressing the newly appointed consul generals at the Foreign Ministry, Davutoğlu stated that 51 new ambassadors and 22 consul generals were appointed with this latest decree.

"It is a privilege to represent Turkey, a country with a rooted state tradition" said Davutoğlu who advised the diplomats to work confidently, adding "on no account should you make concessions while defending our citizens and representing the Turkish Republic on any platform."

Davutoğlu also announced that new consulate-generals have been opened in Aktau in Kazakhstan, Hyderabad in India, Miami in the United States, and in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, adding that the number of Turkish consulate-generals has now soared to 78. He added that with the inclusion of Cambodia, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Brunei, the overall number of foreign missions has now reached 218.

Davutoğlu particularly advised the consul generals that will serve in Europe to be careful of xenophobia, and said, "We will establish a front against xenophobia. Today, xenophobia constitutes our greatest threat."

Davutoğlu also said that the number of Turkish business owners in the world has risen from just 25,000 in 1987 to 80,000 in 2013.

SABAH and Agencies