Türkiye and Japan will mark the 100th anniversary of the start of their diplomatic relations in 2024. Yamada Kenji, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, says they want to strengthen ties between the two countries further.
Kenji, who was in Ankara over the weekend to attend the inauguration of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, congratulated the president "who is supported by most the people in such an important year as the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Türkiye."
"I know that the friendly relationship between the two countries will strengthen with the reelection of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Tuesday. Yamada said Turkish people have long been fond of Japan, which in 1890 made a great effort to save sailors and officers on the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul as it sunk off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture on its way back home from a goodwill voyage to Japan.
The incident considered the starting point of relations between the Turks and Japanese, resulted in the loss of 533 sailors and officers, including a rear admiral. Japanese villagers in Kashinozaki, near the shipwreck site, rescued 69 Turkish sailors. The survivors were later transported to Istanbul aboard the Japanese corvettes Kongo and Hiej.
Yamada also noted that Japanese citizens trapped in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War were evacuated on a Turkish Airlines plane in 1985. He said that this rescue operation, launched on the orders of Türkiye's then-President Turgut Özal, has not been forgotten by Japan.
After the 2011 earthquake that shook Japan, Türkiye immediately sent an emergency rescue team that would stay for one of the most extended periods among foreign crews, Yamada said, adding that when an earthquake occurs in Türkiye, "we also actively support the country." "We strengthened our friendly relations through mutual assistance," he said, noting that he had visited southern Türkiye after the massive Feb. 6 earthquakes.
Yamada once again expressed his condolences for the over 50,000 lives the earthquakes claimed. He said that after news of the disaster arrived, "we quickly deployed our international emergency rescue, medical team, and experts and tried to contribute to the reconstruction efforts."
Noting that he had the opportunity to meet earthquake victims during his visit to Kahramanmaraş province, the epicenter of the earthquakes, Yamada said Japan would also support reconstruction efforts in the region.
He said many people were also killed and injured in two major earthquakes in Japan in 1995 and 2011, adding that Japan had overcome many disasters through the years, including earthquakes. "We share similar experiences with the Turkish people."
On a Turkish-Japanese Science and Technology University recently established in Istanbul, Yamada said he was briefed at all stages of the opening process and that he expects mutual contacts in various fields to increase further.
Drawing attention to the rise of Japanese companies operating in Türkiye to over 250, Yamada underlined he was pleased with the two countries stepping up their relations and upgrading to a strategic partnership in 2013, including economy, culture and education.