While giving a tour of the terrace garden she maintains at the Czech Consulate, Olga Hajflerova, paused to admire the Istanbul skyline.

"It's a privilege to be in this part of the city," the consul general remarked.

Hajflerova, who recalled her two and a half years of experience in Türkiye with great admiration, said that she appreciates the strengthening ties between the two countries.

She noted that many Czech citizens once viewed Türkiye as a distant holiday destination with a different culture and that Europe and Türkiye have not always been certain how they perceive one another.

However, defining her mission as helping Czechs and Europeans understand that Türkiye and they have much in common, she said, "We are based on the same values, not just interest or needs. We are one people."

"Our societies may function slightly differently in detail, but fundamentally we are the same," Hajflerova added, reminding that she gave the same message a year ago in the opinion article she wrote for Daily Sabah.

To promote mutual understanding, Consul General Hajflerova and her team have been actively working in Istanbul.

"If I had a team 10 times bigger here, I would still be very busy because the potential is enormous," she explained.

Expanding cultural, educational ties

One of Hajflerova's personal interests is education, as she described the Czech Consulate General as one of Istanbul’s most dynamic in this field, supporting more than 20 student clubs.

She shared her love of meeting with Turkish university students and discussing international affairs, political developments, and diplomatic careers with them.

"In exchange for my experience, I receive their energy and motivation, and I hope it is as meaningful for them as it is for me,” she said.

Apart from the field of education, the Czech Consulate General organizes events to promote cultural exchange.

The next planned event, Hajflerova said, is a photo exhibition by Turkish photographer Izzet Keribar. Opening April 2 at Nişantaşı Işık Gallery, it will showcase Prague and Czechia to Turkish visitors.

Following that, in May, Hajflerova noted the consulate will organize a Czech food festival. As the third edition of the event, the festival will feature special chefs from Czechia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Previously, the consulate hosted several other events, which included an exhibition of Czech crystal artistry at the Basilica Cistern and a photo and documentary exhibition dedicated to the legacy of former Czech President Vaclav Havel.

Hajflerova added that, beyond the success of these events, attracting the Turkish public’s interest in the Czech Republic requires little effort, as Turks are already enthusiastic about the country, especially when it comes to visiting.

Growing co-op across sectors

However, when it comes to visiting the European Union for academic, touristic or business reasons, Turkish citizens have been facing difficulties in obtaining Schengen visas for years.

The EU has argued that the processes managed by accredited visa agencies have been slow due to the high number of applications and that it has been discussing possible solutions with Ankara.

"The general imagination that the EU countries restrict Turkish citizens from coming to Europe is not true," Hajflerova said, adding that the Czech Consulate has been trying to make the procedure as easy as possible for visitors.

She also emphasized that about 90% of Turkish applicants for Schengen visas to visit Czechia were approved.

According to Türkiye’s Minister of Trade, Ömer Bolat, tourism flows between Türkiye and the Czech Republic are steadily increasing, with approximately 100,000 Turkish citizens traveling to the Czech Republic each year, while the number of Czech visitors to Türkiye has reached about 400,000 annually.

Underlining the significance of connectivity, Hajflerova also highlighted Turkish Airlines and Pegasus having multiple daily direct flights between Türkiye and the Czech Republic.

"I am also very pleased to announce that we are in talks with Pegasus Airlines, and I understand they are eager to expand connections between our countries,” she added.

In December 2025, Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines announced it signed a deal to buy the biggest Czech airline, Smartwings, along with its owner, Czech Airlines (CSA), in a bid to strengthen its presence in Europe and expand globally.

While tourism and civil aviation connectivity are important elements of Türkiye and the Czech Republic’s relations, defense cooperation also has a significant place in the two countries' bilateral relations.

In February, Türkiye’s defense and electronics giant Aselsan and Czech defense firm Excalibur International, part of the CSG group, signed a strategic cooperation agreement to establish an EU-based joint venture while simultaneously introducing the Korkut air defense system integrated on the Tatra Force 6×6 wheeled platform.

"The partnership aims to expand joint defense capabilities for European and global markets," stated the Czech firm.

Hajflerova emphasized that, in addition to existing economic, industrial and defense cooperation, many other sectors have potential for growth, including agriculture.

Referring to Czech companies’ participation in Agroexpo International Agriculture and Livestock Exihibition which was organized in İzmir in February, Hajflerova said, "We brought ecological methods of agricultural production to help that production is healthy and sustainable.”

The consul general said that Czech participation in the event drew strong interest not only from Turkish companies but also from firms in the region.

Agroexpo 2026, one of Europe's four largest agricultural fairs and Türkiye's largest, hosted 426 participants, 56 of whom were foreign. A total of 110,715 people visited Agroexpo, 12,760 of whom were foreign, from 112 countries.