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Sunday, November 1, 2015

Speech Delivered by the Turkish Ambassador Murat Karagöz on the Occasion of the Republic Day Reception (92th Anniversary)

29 October 2015

UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

Distinguished Minister,

Honorable Members of the Parliament,

Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Fellow Citizens and Dear Guests,

It is a great honour and pleasure for me to celebrate the 92th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey once again with you here in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of the friendly country of Mongolia.

The Turkish nation founded a new state on 29 October 1923. Modern Turkey is a product of the republic. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is a historical figure who led the foundation of the new state from a dismantled Empire. Republican regime and the idea of a Turkish nation state are his primary revolutions. On this occasion, we pay tribute to and respect the profound memories of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his collaborators who materialized this important project that carried us from 20th to 21th century.

Distinguished guests,

Turkey, which, despite being encircled by unmanageable states in its fragile neighborhood, serves as a source of hope and inspiration with the universal values it represents, has unfortunately been suffering in the last months from heinous acts of terror and violence. These terrorist attacks which resulted in the loss of hundreds of our civilians, policemen and military personnel, pose no doubt a threat to Turkey’s territorial integrity, national unity and democracy. We condemn these terrorist attacks in the strongest manner which deeply saddened millions of people who bear Turkey in their hearts and minds. We wish that our country whose friendship in international arena is immensely sought will attain soon the much required tranquility and peace. In this regard, we wish to express our deepest gratitude to the Mongolian Government, distinguished members of the Diplomatic Corps, our citizens and Mongolian friends for sharing our grief in the aftermath of the deadliest terrorist attack in Ankara.

Distinguished guests,

2015 was a fruitful year in the Turkish-Mongolian relations which have deep-rooted historical ties. For the first time, an official visit from Turkey to Mongolia took place at the level of Foreign Minister. The Mongolian Defense Minister and the Minister of Construction and Urban Development paid multi-purpose visits to Turkey in the spring. We commemorated the centennial of the Gallipoli Land Battles together. We hosted a delegation from the Turkish Exporters Assembly here in Ulaanbaatar.  Mutual working visits were paid in the fields of agriculture and livestock, justice, internal affairs and health. Consultations on defense industry took place in Ulaanbaatar. We opened the Office of the Military Attaché within our Embassy. Very recently, a joint military exercise “Nomadic Warrior” involving Turkish and Mongolian Special Forces was conducted in Mongolia. We organized for the second time “Turkish Cultural Days in Ulaanbaatar” in the summer. Moreover, TİKA continued its development projects throughout the country and initiated excavation works in and around Tonyukuk Monuments. Through Turkey Scholarships, we sent 57 Mongolian students to Turkey for undergraduate and graduate programs.

Dear Guests,

Upcoming period has significant milestones for both Turkey and Mongolia. Next Sunday, parliamentary elections will be held in Turkey. Following that world leaders of G-20 will come to Antalya to meet at a Summit Meeting. With the formation of our new government after the elections, we expect to hold the Joint Economic Commission Meeting here in Ulaanbaatar as well as political consultations and consular talks in our capitals. We wish that general elections in Mongolia to be held in 2016 and the ASEM Summit due to take place following those elections will yield positive outcomes for this beautiful country.

To conclude, I express my gratitude to you all for attending our reception organized on the occasion of our most important celebratory day.

Long live the Republic of Turkey, long live the Turkish-Mongolian friendship.”

Thank you.

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