Dilek Bozkurt/ HALKWEB It all started with the anti-war and principled stance of the Spanish government, especially in the Middle East tensions (Iran and Palestine). Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's peaceful rhetoric and Spain's stance of not backing down despite US pressure was highly appreciated by Turkish users.
Critical Developments that Triggered the Process:
Diplomatic Solidarity: Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares met with Hakan Fidan to express solidarity in the wake of the munitions incursion into Turkish airspace, strengthening ties.
Loyal Friendship: Turkish people launched a wave of “thank yous” on social media, recalling Spain's support during past forest fires and earthquakes.
From Politics to Humor: The process that started with serious appreciation got out of control when it was combined with Turkish internet humor.
“No Bald Spaniard Left!” and the Spanish Media
The peak of the trend was the tweet “There will be no more bald Spaniards!” shared by a Turkish user, referring to Turkey's world-famous hair transplant success.
This humorous sharing made so much noise in Spain that it became the subject of the ‘El Objetivo’ program on Sexta, one of the most watched channels in the country. Showing edited images of legendary footballer Iniesta's hair transplanted in the program brought the digital bond between the two countries to television screens.
International “Friendzone” and Other Fun Moments
Love and Disappointment: A Turkish teenager's post “We ate the first friendzone internationally” received thousands of likes after receiving the reply “buddy” from a Spanish user.
Enrique Iglesias Request: Some users shared their dreams of “kinship” with Spain through the world famous singer Enrique Iglesias, whom they called “my childhood sweetheart”.
Sweet Reproach from Azerbaijan: After Turkey announced Spain as its new “sister country”, Azerbaijani users made humorous reproaches by saying, “Where were we brothers?”.
Are Visa Exemption Claims Real?
The wind of friendship blew so strongly that unsubstantiated claims began to spread on social media that “Spain has lifted visas for Turkey”.
Important Note: Spain is a Schengen area country and its visa policies follow the European Union curriculum. Therefore, reports of visa abolition do not reflect the truth. Standard visa procedures still apply for Turkish citizens traveling to Spain.
March 4: Unofficial “Friendship Day”
Users declared March 4, the date when this interaction peaked, as “Turkey-Spain Friendship Day”. While Spaniards shared screenshots of the applications they started learning Turkish in response to this love, this sincerity between the two Mediterranean countries was recorded as one of the best examples of public diplomacy.