Türkiye and the Czech Republic have crowned the first centenary of their diplomatic relations with a “friendship” park in Prague.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Czech-Turkish Cooperation Park took place Thursday in district Prague 6. It was hosted by the Turkish ambassador to Prague, Egemen Bağış, Prague 6 Mayor Jakub Starek and Oya Kansu, the deputy mayor of Prague’s Turkish sister city Antalya’s Muratpaşa municipality.
More than 200 guests, including ambassadors of 30 countries and representatives of 22 others serving in Prague, attended the ceremony as officials cut the ribbon for the construction area adorned with Czech and Turkish flags. The project is expected to cost nearly 30,000 euros ($32,687.25).
“We’re very proud to be opening this park as a sturdy symbol of our diplomatic relations,” Bağış told reporters at the ceremony.
The roots of the cooperation park go back to 1924 when Turkish-Czech relations began with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Türkiye, and Tomaš Masaryk, president of Czechoslovakia.
“Despite all anti-Türkiye lobbies’ efforts to block this initiative, the first park to bear our country’s name in Europe, this glorious ceremony here today is the manifestation of Turks’ determination and ambition,” Bağış said.
Lauding “exemplary” economic, political, defense and cultural relations between Türkiye and the Czech Republic, Bağış said he hoped children playing in the park today would advance the existing cooperation and friendship as adults.
He also thanked Mayor Starek, Muratpaşa municipality, Prague 6 officials and contractors who supported the initiative.
For his part, Starek touted “wonderful” relations between the two countries and “common interests between Masaryk and Atatürk that have lasted to this day.”
He said his office initially intended to open a park named after Atatürk but was forced to abandon the idea after the Prague Municipality rejected it.
“Therefore, we remember him with this park and photographs,” he said. “This park marks significant milestones of our cooperation. For instance, you can find history on the sidewalks, symbolism on the benches and many other cultural motifs in this park.”
As a symbol of the friendship between Prague and Antalya, officials planted oak trees in the park with seeds the Muratpaşa mayor brought from Anatolia.
The park covers a substantial plot along the Ankarska Venue, named after Türkiye’s capital, Ankara, and sits right opposite the Turkish Embassy. Prague 6 is largely populated by diplomatic missions from all over the world and places of residence for representatives.
The opening was originally meant to take place last year but was vetoed by the Prague municipality, citing pressure from anti-Turkish groups like the Armenian lobby.
“The process is not yet complete,” Bağış had said then. “There are anti-Türkiye lobbies here, including FETÖ, PKK, Armenian and Greek lobbies, but we’re fighting back against all of them. The mayor was under political threat due to the coalition’s structure. They need some time.”
Bağış has been engaged in a diplomatic blitz since then to secure ultimate approval from the Prague City Council’s history committee.
FETÖ (Gülenist Terror Group) was behind a bloody coup attempt in Türkiye in July 2016 and operates a global network disguised as a charity organization. PKK is listed as a terrorist group by Türkiye, the United States and the EU. It’s responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands in a four-decadelong insurgency.
