The Turkish embassy in this country has dutifully commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, expressing appreciation and honoring Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the country’s founder.
On Sunday, the embassy organized a gathering in a local hotel to commemorate the centennial of the Republic of Turkiye, which brought together people from various backgrounds.
Since October 29, 1925, when Ataturk officially declared the establishment of Turkiye following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the late leader’s War of Independence, October 29 has been observed as Turkish Republic Day. Ataturk went on to become Turkey’s first elected president.
Bangladesh Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq graced the occasion as the chief guest while Planning Minister M A Mannan, Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Ramis Sen, his wife Juhal Sen, parliament members, diplomats from different countries stationed here joined the program, among others.
Anisul Huq stated in his address that Bangladesh and Turkey have a long history together.
According to him, a significant number of Turkish immigrants settled in Bengal’s undivided territory in the 13th century, which greatly enhanced the mutual understanding between the citizens of the two nations.
“This long acquaintance has contributed to strong bilateral ties…people welcomed and accommodated each other with passion, sincerity and hospitality”, he added.
Huq said the mutual desire to take the relationships to a higher level is also an aspiration for Bangladesh as President Mohammed Shahabuddin attended the swearing-in ceremony of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in June last.
He also thanked the Turkish government for extending moral, political and humanitarian support to Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue.
In his remarks, the Turkish ambassador underlined the strong and deep relations between Bangladesh and Turkey, saying, “We are committed to enhancing and diversifying the bilateral relations”.
He said the direct air connectivity between Dhaka and Istanbul is making a great contribution to the bilateral relations.
Additionally, he stated that his government wants to increase bilateral trade to USD 1.2 billion.
Additionally, the envoy expressed his appreciation to the government and people of Bangladesh for their tremendous help during the earthquake that rocked Turkey on February 06, 2023.
He said that Bangladesh and Turkey will commemorate their 50 years of diplomatic relations in February of the following year.
The ambassador read out a statement from the Turkish president at the function.
