Author: <span>Metin Kılıç</span>

Ambassador Metin Kılıç was born in Ankara on 3 May 1963. He graduated in 1984 from the Faculty of Administrative Sciences of the Ankara Academy of Economic and Commercial Sciences (now the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of Gazi University). He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye in May 1985 as a candidate career diplomat. Professional Career Between 1985 and 1987, he served as a candidate career diplomat at the Middle East and Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following his compulsory military service, he worked as a Third Secretary at the Department of Defence Cooperation with the United States. From 1988 to 1990, he served as Third and Second Secretary at the Embassy of Türkiye in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and from 1990 to 1994 as First Secretary at the Embassy of Türkiye in Cairo, Egypt. Between 1994 and 1996, he served as Head of Section at the Council of Europe and Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1996 to 2000, he was posted to the Embassy of Türkiye in Lisbon, Portugal, as Counsellor. Subsequently, from 2000 to 2002, he served as Head of the Department for Relations with Southeast Asia and Africa at the Ministry. Between 2002 and 2005, he headed the Office of the Embassy of Türkiye established in Kosovo. From 2005 to 2007, he served as Head of the Department for Combating International Terrorism and Transnational Crime at the Ministry’s headquarters. From 2007 to 2011, he served as Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of Türkiye in Beijing, China. Between 2011 and 2013, he served as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Representative in Edirne, Türkiye. In this capacity, he was responsible for matters concerning Turkish communities living in Bulgaria and Greece, as well as relations between local authorities in Türkiye and neighbouring countries. In 2013, he was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where he served until 2018. Awards and Distinctions In 2014, Ambassador Kılıç received the Special Award of the Union of Writers of the Turkic World. In 2015, he was named “Diplomat of the Year” in Kyrgyzstan. In 2016, he was awarded the Tilekmat Ake Silver Medal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan. Current Positions and Publications Since 2018, Ambassador Kılıç has been serving at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye. He also serves as Secretary-General of the Ankara Policy Centre, a foreign policy think tank bringing together senior diplomats, foreign policy academics and journalists, and as Chair of the Diplomacy Council of the Ankara City Council. He has published articles on Russia and the Turkic world of Central Asia. Ambassador Metin Kılıç is married and has one child.