29 October 2023 06:29 pm Views - 188
Message of H.E. R. Demet Şekercioğlu
On the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye
Today marks a monumental milestone in the history of modern Türkiye as we proudly celebrate a hundred years of resilience, progress, and unity that echo the invincible spirit of our nation.
A century ago, doors of a new era were unveiled, symbolizing Türkiye’s relentless struggle for freedom while paving the path for a golden chapter for our Republic. It was, the Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish National War of Liberation, and our First President, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk who, surrounded by comrades and parliament members, proclaimed on October 29, 1923, that sovereignty would be passed "unconditionally to the nation". Therefore, it is with great honour and pride that I pay tribute today to our visionary national leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, his comrades in arms and our unsung heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for the future of our nation.
Atatürk’s thought and actions have left such a deep and durable imprint on our nation as it resembles the title bestowed upon him as the "Father of the Turks". His visionary ideas and the reforms he implemented have transformed Türkiye into what it stands today as a strong democratic, secular and modern country. Our path during the past hundred years has been embellished with milestones that echo the heroic strides of a nation that rose from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. Her lands have witnessed millennia of conflict between powerful forces—East and West, Christianity and Islam, modernity and tradition. However, with the strength it draws from its rich history, Türkiye determinedly advances on the path to building a bright and prosperous future for herself as well as to her region as an independent power with a unique national identity.
In the realm of humanitarian aid, especially in times of global crisis, our humanitarian ethos shines positioning herself as a compassionate power. This is evident as Türkiye stands as the most generous country in terms of the volume of humanitarian aid it provides in relation to its GDP. In the aftermath of the devastating tsunami that struck many island nations including Sri Lanka in 2004, Türkiye came forward to provide immediate humanitarian assistance and also built a housing complex for those who lost their homes in the coastal parts of Sri Lanka, as well as for the IDPs who suffered by the separatist war in the country. Apart from her ongoing humanitarian and capacity building assistance, Türkiye through the Türkiye Scholarship program is offering students from disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to pursue their high education in a friendly country. Turkish government also provided medical assistance to Sri Lanka during the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis last year.
The humanitarian approach of Türkiye has been reciprocated by the international community as the country was struck with one of the biggest natural disasters of the century with the February 6th earthquakes that affected more than 14 million people with an affected area two and a half times bigger than Sri Lanka. Despite facing its own turbulent times, the heartwarming assistance extended by our dear Sri Lankan friends as well as the Sri Lankan government to help the victims of the earthquake will forever remain etched in the hearts of every Turkish citizen. The assistance of Sri Lankan people following the earthquake was nothing else than the reflection of the excellent relations between our people, which have centuries long history going well before 1864, when the first diplomatic relations were established between Ceylon and the Ottoman Empire.
The significance of year 2023 reverberates beyond the centenary proclamation of the Turkish Republic. It is worth mentioning that Türkiye was among the first countries to recognize Sri Lanka’s independence 75 years ago. This year also marks the completion of ten fruitful years since the establishment of the Turkish Embassy in Colombo. Last but not least, our national flag carrier Turkish Airlines also completes ten successful years since its establishment in Sri Lanka. Having started operations in 2013 through a stop-over in Male (Maldives), Turkish Airlines from November 2023 on, will begin direct flights between Istanbul and Colombo. I believe this new arrangement, in dissociating the Istanbul-Colombo and Istanbul-Male flights, will make a significant contribution to boost the Sri Lankan tourism market at this very crucial moment.
As we turn the page of a century based upon these monumental milestones, it is with great optimism that I envisage a flourishing future of enhanced cooperation between our two countries. May the friendship between Türkiye and Sri Lanka continue to prosper in the centuries to come and may our shared journey ahead be filled with remarkable milestones of triumph and togetherness.