Consul General Arvin de Leon, accompanied by Consul Edwin Gil Mendoza, held several discussions with key officials from İstanbul and Kocaeli provinces.

On 28 June 2021, CG de Leon met with Mr. Bayram Yalınsu, Provincial Director of the Istanbul Migration Management Directorate. The meeting was crucial as Istanbul is home to majority of Filipinos in Turkey. CG de Leon reiterated to Mr. Yalınsu the importance of cooperation between the two sides on immigration matters.

On 7 July 2021, CG de Leon visited Kocaeli and had talks with officials of the Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce to discuss possible areas of collaboration on trade and investment matters. This was followed by a call on Mayor Fatma Kaplan Hürrıyet of İzmit, Kocaeli’s capital. Mayor Kaplan Hürrıyet is one of several female mayors in Turkey. Central to the discussions with the mayor was the prominent role of women in Philippine society.

CG de Leon and his team also visited the recently-opened restaurant of one of the Filipinos who have settled in Kocaeli. Ms. Liza Ortega owns and operates Taka Sushi restaurant in İzmit. Ms. Ortega is one of the many shining examples of Filipino entrepreneurial skills in İstanbul and its surrounding areas. She has also been helpful to fellow Filipinas encountering difficulties in adjusting to their new lives abroad.