Ambassadors of several countries in Ankara celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
Italy’s ambassador, Giorgio Marrapodi, said the Oct. 29 centennial celebrations in Türkiye is a commemoration that fills the entire country with joy, pride and a sense of identity.
Marrapodi delved into the essence of society during an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA) as he emphasized the 100th year encompasses five generations and is a milestone in the country’s history.
Marrapodi said the centennial provides an opportunity to examine past achievements and contemplate the future, its challenges and opportunities.
“We both are relatively young countries, both with a shared and a century-old culture. But we are also strong partners and allied countries. Partnership is richly nurtured by constant exchanges and cooperation between our societies. Italy and Türkiye have worked hand-in-hand on numerous occasions,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA).
The ambassador praised Türkiye’s efforts to find peace between Russia and Ukraine and expressed his appreciation.
“It has been almost two years of my tenure in Türkiye, a country that I have appreciated a lot for many reasons apart from the political point of view for trying to find a solution to the war between Russia and Ukraine. In these two years, I’ve also seen the growing political and economic relations between our two countries,” he said. “It’s still vivid, the memory of the intergovernmental summit last year in July when President (Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan and then-Prime Minister (Mario) Draghi met at the presidential house."
On the other side, India’s Ambassador Virander Paul congratulated the Turkish people on the anniversary.
He expressed hope for Türkiye greater advancements and increased prosperity in its journey into the new century.
He emphasized that relations between Türkiye and India are nourished by deep historical ties, and said cultural resources have contributed to the establishment of strong bonds based on mutual goodwill during the century.
“This was indeed much visible in the manner our Turkish friends received Operation Dost (Operation Friend), India’s expression of solidarity with the people of Türkiye during the early days of the devastating February earthquakes,” said Paul.
“In contemporary times, as two richly diverse democracies and large G-20 economies, there are enormous opportunities inherent in our growth and development trajectories,” Türkiye and India, which have diverse democracies and are major G-20 economies, have great opportunities for growth and development.
“The 100 years that have passed since the declaration of the republic under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk have been a successful and comprehensive journey that has made the Turkish people proud,” he said.
“While Türkiye celebrates this important milestone, we continue to stand together to address the various threats and challenges facing the world today. The successful accomplishments during India’s G-20 presidency this year points the way to the future,” he added.
Similarly, Japan’s ambassador Takahiko Katsumata, celebrating the anniversary, said that he had been following Türkiye’s development.
Saying that he had been observing Türkiye’s geopolitical importance increasing over the years, Katsumata added he hopes Ankara will continue to support the world as a great country from now on.
Katsumata also pointed out that 2024 will mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and Türkiye, and stated that high-level visits to Türkiye are expected and many events such as concerts, exhibitions and symposiums will be organized throughout the year.
