On 14 December 2026, BSEC PERMIS First Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Dr. Merve Safa Kavakcı paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Istanbul Mr. Davut Gül, along with the Turkish Ambassadors on duty in Istanbul, namely the Representative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Istanbul H.E. Ayşe Sözen Usluer, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Türkiye to the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) H.E. Ufuk Ekinci, and the First Director of the D-8 Organization.