The Turkish embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. The organizers, including the Ambassador-designate, expressed appreciation while honoring Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the highly revered founder of the country.
On Sunday, the embassy organized a gathering in a Dhaka hotel to commemorate the centennial of the Republic of Turkey, which brought together people from various backgrounds.
Since October 29, 1925, when Ataturk officially declared the establishment of Turkey following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the late leader’s War of Independence, October 29 has been observed as the day of the Turkish Republic at its embassies around the world.
Ataturk, who led the vanguard of values for Turkey following the ashes of the Ottoman Empire, went on to become Turkey’s first elected president.
The event was declared open by Anisul Huq, who was the Bangladesh Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister and also the chief guest of the event.
During the event, Huq stated that by the 13th century, there were many Turkish citizens living as a community in Bengal, which led to a mutual understanding between the locals and the Turkish community.
“This long acquaintance has contributed to strong bilateral ties. People welcomed and accommodated each other with passion, sincerity, and hospitality”, Huq said.
He defined bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Turkey as “deeply rooted in history.”
Huq also thanked the Turkish government for providing moral, political, and humanitarian support to Bangladesh regarding the Rohingya issue, noting that both countries share the desire to elevate their relationships to a higher level. President Mohammed Shahabuddin attended Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s swearing-in ceremony in June of last year.
While addressing the audience at the event, the Turkish ambassador stated that the mutual relations both countries enjoy remain strong and vast.
The Ambassador said, “We are committed to enhancing and diversifying bilateral relations”.
To put into perspective one of the reasons why relations between Turkey and Bangladesh remain strong, the Ambassador stated that the availability of a direct air route between the state capitals was fundamental.
He reiterated his government’s desire to increase volumes of bilateral trade between the two countries to $1.2 billion in the coming years.
The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the government and the people of Bangladesh for the immense support given to them during the earth tremor that struck Turkey in February this year.
He ended his speech by reading out a message from the president of Turkey on the occasion of their 100th Republic Day.
He mentioned that in February next year, Bangladesh and Turkey will celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
The event was well attended and had eminent guests, including the Planning Minister, M.A. Mannan, the Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ramis Sen, and his wife, Juhal Sen, members of the diplomatic corps’, top government functionaries, lawmakers from Bangladesh’s parliament, and some diplomats on special mission.
