WHEN Sabri Tunc Angili traveled around China shortly after the Olympics in 2008, he made lots of discoveries about the country that was unknown to him before the trip.

The new Turkish Consul General in Shanghai, who started the post in February, hopes to attract more Chinese to visit Turkey for the same purpose — to learn about the real Turkey, as his home country, like China, is often misrepresented in the international media.

“Tourism is a different kind of economic activity. In addition to economic value, it also helps people to know more about each other,” he tells Shanghai Daily.

“Tourism creates a bridge, a bond between different cultures.

“Many people in Turkey don’t know about the real China I discovered as a tourist. Likewise, many Chinese don’t know a lot about the real Turkey, either.

“Turkey’s image is worse than its reality, and that is also true for China to some degree,” Angili says.

Artistic dialogue

The urge for both parties to see what’s real may also explain why the consul general has been brainstorming for a list of writers, artists and intellectuals he wishes to invite to China since he has arrived.

“I hope they can learn more about China during the visit, because in general, even intellectuals know China through Western media, which is not always completely true. If they come in person and meet peer artists, writers, and intellectuals here, they will see how China is in real life, just like I did,” he says.

“And of course, they can explain and promote the real Turkey to Chinese people through culture and art. The language of art in different forms is universal.

“You get to see a part of the culture through the eyes of the artist or the writer.”

In his view, art and culture are not completely alien to economic activities, and may even be more important than the latter.

“If you have artistic dialogue, it also helps with business collaborations,” he says. “Only true cultural connection and true dialogue between artists can make collaborations between two cultures, including economics ones, more sustainable.”

His long-term plan for cultural exchanges includes writers, visual arts, movies and a photography exhibition about Istanbul and other parts of Turkey, hoping to attract more Chinese to be curious about his home country.

Next year is the year of tourism for Turkey in China, and Angili still has much to prepare.

About 120 million Chinese now travel overseas on holidays each year. About 300,000 visited Turkey last year.

Safety remains one of the biggest concerns that Chinese netizens search online.

“In the past two to three years, we have had some terrorist attacks, which have created a really negative image for Turkey,” Angili says. “But this fact is also true for many other cities. This terrorism issue is a global security problem. We are all struggling to fight against it. We think Turkey and Istanbul are as safe as many cities and countries in Europe. Unfortunately, today you can’t find a place in the world that’s 100 percent safe.”

He says most tourists to Turkey are Russians and Germans, attracted mostly by the sea and sunshine, and he sees lots of potentials for Chinese visitors.

He says the Chinese are generally more intrigued by history and culture, which matches with Turkey’s long traditions. Both nations share a sophistication and diversification in culture and religion.

Istanbul is his top recommendation for obvious reasons — one of the oldest cities and one that connects the East and the West with still many marks of history.

It is literally at the crossroads of Europe and Asia — cross the Bosphorus on a 5-minute ferry and you have gone from Europe to Asia.

He also recommends a Turkish favorite unknown to many foreigners: Trabzon, on the Black Sea coast, near the border with Georgia. It is a popular spot for Turks.

This year, Chinese real estate tycoon Wanda announced that its first overseas hotel will be open in Istanbul.

While it surprised many, it makes sense for the Turkish consul-general who has seen many Chinese companies to open regional headquarters there.

“Turkey is important for China. It is a good center to reach out to North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, because of our geographic location and also that we have trade agreements with many countries in these regions,” he says.

“These are also very important areas for China as China has become a global power.

“Likewise, China is very important for Turkey and many countries in the world today. You are getting more economically powerful and your economic influence goes beyond your region now. Things happening in China now affect different parts of the world.”

Language serves

It is part of the reason he hopes that more young Turks will start to learn Chinese, as the new generation of Chinese all learn English.

“During my previous posting in Japan, I realized that language serves much more than a mere communication tool, it also dominates the way of thinking for people using this language,” he says.

“Without understanding the language, it is very difficult to understand the way Chinese think.”

He believes Turks can learn more about their own history and culture after they understand more about China, a place so far from Turkey not just in physical distance, but also in terms of culture and customs.

Yet, ancient Turks also had much earlier and more exchanges with Chinese compared with most Western countries. The Torkic culture also stems from Central Asia.

He cites his own name as an example. Tunc means bronze in Turkish, and he has chosen the Chinese character Tong, which sounds similar and also means bronze, to be his Chinese name.

“I don’t have academic proof, but I would like to think the two words may have come from the same source,” he says.

Q: How did you become a diplomat?
A: By chance.

I wanted to become a journalist and changed my mind after an internship in university. Later, I wanted to become a university professor, a scholar, and changed my mind again. So I looked for a job that combines features from both.

A diplomat is really three jobs in one.

You ought to be curious like a journalist, self-disciplined to read and write about what’s happening in the world like a scholar, and also explain your case like a politician.

Q: What do you have to bring with you when you travel?
A: Books.

My favorite types are fiction and history.

Q: What did you read before you came to China?
A: I read Richard Wilhelm’s translation of I Ching (Book of Changes).

Being simple in your thinking and feeling is more difficult than being complicated.

It is difficult to achieve that level of simplicity, which creates a level of clarity. And that’s what I am impressed about this book — the rare simplicity and clarity. I can also see that in some old Chinese people I have met.

Q: Motto for life?
A: I haven’t found one yet.

The closest I have to a motto is from an ancient Turkish poet, who said, “I am looking for a solution to my problem, and I realize that the problem itself is the solution.”