Says Amb. Ercin at the 96th Turkish National Day reception

By Publisher Lee Kyung-sik

Ambassador Ersin Ercin of the Republic of Turkey in Seoul said, "We are proud to have cultivated a close relationship with Korea and these relations, which date back many centuries, have transformed into a blood brotherhood with the Korean War and have been upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2012.” Ambassador Ercin made the remarks at a reception he and Madam Ercin hosted at Shilla Hotel in Seoul on Oct. 28, 2019. (See excerpts from his speech at the end of this report.)

President Moon Jae-in (right) shakes hand with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. The Turkish President visited the Republic of Korea in May 2018.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea, Turkey and Korea started developing close relations in the sixth century in the historical and cultural areas. Furthermore, Turkey sent the fourth largest number of combat troops to fight on the side of South Korea in defense of freedom and democracy of the country during the Korean War of 1950-3.

Geographically Korea and Uzbekistan are situated over 8,000 kilometers away from each other geographically, but the distance meant little when it came defending the freedom and democracy of a brotherly coutnry.

Photo shows Ambassador Ersin Ercin of Turkey (left) with Public Foreign Ambassador Chang Jae-bok of Foreign Affairs at the 96th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic of Turkey reception held in Seoul on October 28, 2019.

Turkey is moving forward to attain her goal of joining the World Top 10 Economic Power on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its founding.

And in this effort, Korea is one of the top priority countries of the world in attaining the aim.

The party was attended by many Korean and international dignitaries, as well as the ambassadors and other senior members of the Diplomatic Corps with their spouses.

Among the guests in attendance were Public Foreign Ambassador Chang Jae-bok of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassadors Mihai Ciompec of Romania, Ramzi Teymurov of Azerbaijan, Antoine Azzam of Lebanon, Myrat Mammetalyyev of Turkmenistan.

Ambassador Ercin of Turkey gives a congratulatory speech to the guests at the reception.

Excerpts from the speech of Ambassador Ersin Erçin:

Distinguished Guests, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We celebrate the 96th anniversary of the proclamation of the republic of Turkey with joy and excitement.

Turkey as a member of NATO and the Council of Europe is one of the strong pillars of the Euro-Atlantic security and legal system. We are both the West and the East. The North and the South. Our state and nation stand tall and strong as the guarantor of regional peace and prosperity.

Ambassador Chang Jae-bok of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivers a speech at the reception.

However, we are going through one of the toughest times in recent history. Our neighboring regions and the global environment are experiencing a staggering change.

On global and regional levels, political and economic power struggles fuel crises and breed tension and turmoil in the system. Power vacuums emerge in conflict areas and terrorists abuse this situation the most.

Due to Turkey’s geopolitical location, the ability to foresee and manage surrounding vulnerabilities, fragilities and crises is of vital importance. In such an environment, our priority is to fight existential threats posed by terrorist groups. Terrorism is a crime against humanity. Therefore, we must unite against this common plague.

Ambassador Ercin of Turkey (right) picks a name card of the visitors for a lucky draw.

Dear Guests, It is great to have good friends that you can rely on. We are proud to have cultivated a close relationship with Korea. These relations which date back many centuries have transformed into a blood brotherhood with the Korean War and were upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2012. We are determined to further advance these ties in all possible domains.

On this occasion, I would like to reiterate our earnest desire for peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and health and prosperity for the Korean brothers and sisters.

In closing, allow me express our appreciation to Limak, Yapı Merkezi, SK and Daelim companies for their valuable contributions in organising this event.

A celebration ice work marking the 96th anniversary of Proclamation of the Republic of Turkey at a party held at Shilla Hotel Seoul on Oct. 28, 2019.

I would also like to thank Turkish Airlines, our national flag carrier for granting 3 return tickets to İstanbul on this occasion. We will soon have a luck draw to identify the winners.

Without further ado, I would like to leave the floor to our guest of honor.

I sincerely thank all our guests for being here to celebrate this important day with us. Enjoy your evening!

Ambassador and Mrs. Ercin (fourth and fifth from right) pose with Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post (third from left) and The Korea Post media team. Second from left is seen Public Relations Director Dr. Yoon Sang-hak of the Holy Eden Church.
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