Turkey and South Korea yesterday marked the 68th anniversary of the Korean War where hundreds of Turkish soldiers died fighting for South Korea.
At an event organized by the Turkish Association of War Veterans (TÜMGAZİDER), Turks and South Koreans came together at a monument dedicated to Turks killed in the 1950-53 war. South Korea's Ambassador Choi Hong-Ghi, New Zealand Ambassador Wendy Jane Hinton and Turkish military officials were among those attending the event in the capital Ankara. Participants laid wreaths at the monument before the rendition of the South Korean and Turkish anthems.
"We appreciate the sacrifice of Turkish soldiers during that war. The Republic of Korea is today a democratic country and the world's eleventh largest economy thanks to the blood and sweat of Korean War veterans. We will always remember the sacrifice of Turkish martyrs and veterans," the ambassador said.
Turkey joined the Korean War under the U.N. Command from 1950 to 1953. Some 890 Turkish troops were killed in the war. The country now works to repatriate the remains of hundreds of soldiers from North Korea after a landmark deal between North Korea and the United States that has paved the way for the return of the remains of soldiers killed in the Korean War.