Guatemala’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Eduardo Enrique Hernandez Recinos, has been taking Turkish lessons at the Yunus Emre Institute (Yunus Emre Enstitüsü, YEE) since arriving in Ankara last year. He began learning Turkish through an app before his posting and now attends classes twice a week. Recinos says he wants to speak fluently before his term ends and his favorite Turkish word is “Maşallah.”
M. Ferhat Yüksel
“MAŞALLAH” AND THE WORD HE FINDS HARDEST
Recinos studies Turkish twice a week with YEE instructor Nurgül Tokmak. He said he did not understand the meaning of “Maşallah” at first, but later learned that it carries a positive message, adding, “Now I know. It’s a very good thing.” He also said the phrase he struggles to pronounce the most is “Saygılarımızla,” which he often sees in formal correspondence.
THE HARDEST LANGUAGE HE HAS LEARNED
Recinos has served in Ankara for around a year and a half. In addition to his native Spanish, he speaks English, German, and Russian. He described Turkish as the hardest language he has learned because of its very different grammar, saying, “Turkish is very different, the grammar is different. For me it’s the most difficult language, but I think in two or three years it will be very good.”
TURKISH SERIES AND TARKAN
To improve his Turkish, Recinos said he watches Turkish series and named “Zeytin Ağacı” as his favorite. He also recalled that Tarkan was very popular when he studied in Moscow about 20 years ago, noting, “He was very famous 20 years ago. My friends and I used to listen to his songs, but we didn’t understand anything then. Now I can understand his songs.”
“LIKE A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY”
Recinos said speaking Turkish in daily life has become comfortable for him, in the street, in markets, and in restaurants. He underlined how this shapes his sense of belonging, saying, “Waiters speak to me normally. This matters a lot to me, because I feel more comfortable here, like a member of the family.”
A MOMENT WITH PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN
Recinos also described presenting his credentials to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and saying a few words in Turkish during their meeting. He said it was a memorable moment and the first time in his life he had met a global leader from so close. He noted that interpretation was arranged from Turkish to Spanish since he had only just started learning Turkish at the time. Recinos said President Erdoğan gifted him YEE textbooks, describing it as a pleasant surprise and a strong motivation to continue.
ARCHAEOLOGY, CITIES, AND MUSEUMS
With a personal interest in archaeology, Recinos said he tries to explore Türkiye whenever he can. He listed places he has visited, including Malatya, Antalya, Cappadocia, Bolu, Bursa, and Çanakkale, and said he still has many more destinations on his list. He highlighted Türkiye’s archaeological richness and mentioned sites such as Ephesus, Assos, and Aslantepe. He added that he especially likes Beypazarı in Ankara and often visits museums, usually alone, because his children do not enjoy museums.
“YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND TÜRKİYE WITHOUT ATATÜRK”
Recinos said he has known about Atatürk for a long time, partly because of Turkish friends he made while studying in Moscow. Still, he said what impressed him most was seeing how people in Türkiye speak about Atatürk. He recalled that protocol required him to visit Anıtkabir on the day he presented his credentials and said he observed deep respect and affection for Atatürk in conversations with Turks. “This is very impressive,” he said, repeating his view that modern Türkiye cannot be understood without Atatürk. He also praised Atatürk’s leadership, saying it was extraordinary for such leadership to emerge in such a short time, adding, “100 years is not a very long time, yet Atatürk built the foundations of modern Türkiye. You can’t understand today’s Türkiye without thinking about Atatürk.”
DEFENSE COOPERATION AND TRADE POTENTIAL
Turning to bilateral ties, Recinos pointed to recent steps in defense cooperation. He said Guatemala’s Minister of Defense visited Istanbul in July and signed an agreement, the first of its kind in the history of relations between Guatemala and Türkiye. He said the agreement should help create a more stable relationship in the military field and added that Guatemala shows strong interest in Türkiye’s military capacity and production. He said experts from the two defense ministries plan more comprehensive talks in the near future. Recinos also noted efforts to increase bilateral trade through mutual visits and said he sees opportunities to expand commercial potential.
TOURISM, DIRECT FLIGHTS, AND ACTIVE VOLCANOES
Recinos described Guatemala as a major tourism country and said the sector has grown rapidly in recent years. He said tourism rose by 10 percent last year and added that the upward trend continues. He also said he believes Guatemala will soon draw the attention of key players such as Turkish Airlines (Türk Hava Yolları, THY). He said Guatemala aims to launch direct flights in the near future and support new initiatives in this area.
He argued that Türkiye and Guatemala share similarities, pointing to rich resources on both sides. He mentioned Guatemala’s mountains, lakes, and regions shaped by ancient civilizations, especially the Maya heritage, and said the country offers many opportunities for people interested in archaeology. He also highlighted something Türkiye does not have, active volcanoes. He said visitors can see flowing lava and that this kind of rural tourism is growing fast. According to Recinos, this draws more interest in Central America from Europe, the United States, and South America.
COFFEE EXPORTS, TÜRKİYE ENTERS THE STATISTICS
On coffee exports, Recinos said Turkish buyers appeared in official statistics for the first time this year. He said Türkiye now accounts for around 1 percent of Guatemala’s coffee exports and described it as a significant development. He said exports doubled from 2022 to 2023, doubled again from 2023 to 2024, and doubled once more this year. He said Guatemalan coffee is gaining more space in the Türkiye market and called coffee Guatemala’s strongest product abroad, adding, “Some countries are known for a particular product, and Guatemala is increasingly known for its high quality coffee.”
