Dutch Ambassador to Ankara Marjanne de Kwaasteniet continues to work from home in Ankara. Underlining that Coronavirus should be considered as an opportunity to make things better, Kwaasteniet said the best part about working at home is his coffee breaks and lunches with his wife.
Gökhan Başara
Where do you spend your time in the epidemic process?
We all know the government’s advice: ‘stay at home!’ I spend most of my time at home.
What precautions have you taken against the epidemic as an embassy? Are you still working?
In addition to the embassy in Ankara, all our colleagues at our consulate in Istanbul are working from home as much as possible. We take care to keep the number of people physically present in the office to a minimum. Some tasks require being in the office. Of course, in this case, we keep our social distance and wear our masks. The embassy must be accessible and up and running, especially at extraordinary times. That’s why my surrogate and I have separated certain days on weekdays: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he works. That’s how we keep working.
How’s this going as an ambassador? Have your priorities changed? Can you say that epidemic protection measures take precedence over relations between Turkey and the Netherlands?
The epidemic has made it more difficult for many of us. This has affected our work as a diplomat. Normally, diplomats bring together people with different views and ideas. That’s not physically possible right now. But at the same time, our diplomatic relations remain and communication channels must remain open. In this sense, our priorities have not changed. We are still trying to enhance and promote dialogue and co-operation between Turkey and the Netherlands in possible areas. We have many common interests and objectives, such as migration, co-operation in the fight against foreign terrorists, or economic change and trade. My staff from home and I are trying to be as aware of developments in Turkey as possible.
WE’RE ALL TOGETHER
How are relations between Turkey and the Netherlands in this process? How are different areas, especially trade, affected by the epidemic?
I think relations between the Netherlands and Turkey have strengthened in the last few weeks. In a way, the crisis created a new sense of purpose. We’re all together all over the world, it’s a common fight. During the last six weeks, constructive co-operation has been carried out with the Turkish authorities to facilitate the flight back to several countries for the Dutch and other EU citizens, which we are grateful for. This also sent hundreds of Dutch travelers stranded in Turkey back to their country.
The Netherlands is fighting a different fight against the epidemic by applying controlled ‘herd immunity’. Do you think this strategy is a success?
Holland’s main strategy is to try to alleviate the corona crisis wherever possible to save lives. The concept of ‘herd immunity’ is not the target of the Dutch approach in its own right, but the immunity of the herd can be a side effect of the epidemic. As in other countries, some medical professionals advise the Dutch government. To relieve pressure on intensive care units, the number of infections is being reduced where possible. Of course, they’re constantly learning new things about this new virus. This information is used to permanently re-evaluate the effectiveness of existing measures and strategies. Also, there is a national debate in the Dutch press about the scenarios and implications of policies. So far, the Dutch approach seems to have similar results, as elsewhere. But it’s too early to give you exactly the information.
What is the current situation in the Netherlands? When is normalization expected?
Coronavirus, unfortunately, caused more than 40,000 confirmed cases and nearly 5,000 registered deaths in the Netherlands. So far, the virus seems to have a similar development in the Netherlands as in other countries. Fortunately, the number of new cases and deaths in the Netherlands has been declining for some time. However, many businesses are in a difficult situation and have applied for temporary government support. The epidemic has significant negative economic impacts. The Dutch government has gradually begun to think about normalization measures, but we must be careful. If you normalize too quickly, the health gains so far could be compromised.
I WAS TOUCHED BY THE DEVOTION OF TURKISH HEALTH WORKERS
How do you assess Turkey’s fight against the epidemic? Are the measures taken according to you sufficient?
In general, I think the Turkish government reacted early and quickly. Early measures such as closing the Iranian border, closing schools and universities have helped. I was also very impressed with the quality of intensive care in Turkey and the dedication of Turkish medical workers. On National Day (King’s Day, April 30), we visited Ankara City Hospital. We thanked the hospital staff for their efforts in fighting the virus by giving flowers. Of course, no matter what precautions you take, there is no way to eliminate the risk. I hope that the situation in Turkey will improve further and that it will be possible to normalize more without jeopardizing health gains until now. The Turkish government is already planning this to breathe a sigh of air to some businesses.
How do you spend your time at home? How many hours do you work?
Every working day at 8:00 a.m., I sit at my desk and start reading my emails. I’m trying to keep my work rhythm at home as much as possible. I’m careful to keep the difference between workdays and weekends. Until 17.00 in the evening, I am busy with e-mails, digital conferences, my staff, my digital conversations with my EU ambassador colleagues in Ankara. The beauty of working at home can be the coffee breaks and lunch we had with my wife on the terrace. This gives this whole process a new flavor.
WE PLAY DIGITAL GAMES WITH MY SISTER
What kind of activities do you do to make your home life more enjoyable?
I watch a lot of movies, I read the latest Dutch novels. My sister and I in Holland are playing digital games. I’m running miles on a treadmill. During this period, I had more opportunities to study Turkish. I watch the trees bloom, the flowers bloom because of spring (some trees are too fast, others are a little behind). Listening to music is one of my greatest pleasures.
Have you prepared a roadmap for the aftermath of the outbreak? What topics will you focus on first?
This is a global struggle and we now have to continue our global efforts to fight the epidemic. Naturally, we are preparing for new activities after the virus is contained. It will probably be different from before, but we hope to continue regular activities as soon as possible, including cooperation on trade and also migration.
IT IS REQUIRED TO CHANGE THE CRISIS TO OPPORTUNITY
They say the world won’t be the same after the outbreak. What do you think of this?
The corona crisis is likely to have long-term consequences for the whole world. Right now, it’s too early to tell what those results will be. It seems to me that the management of such crises will be decisive for the current political trends in the next period. This process shows us that the role of the state is increasing. Solving the crisis or mitigating its economic impact increases pressure on politicians and policymakers. I hope that the extraordinary measures taken by governments will not be used to reduce human rights and the rule of law in the long run. I hope the world considers the corona crisis an opportunity to make things better. There are many opportunities to do this, for example, to green the economy and digitize it. But we must also think about our strategic value chains.
