Diplomatic Events

Turkish Republic Day Reception Marking 99 Years Held in Kfar Shmaryahu with Message from President Erdogan 

The Turkish Embassy in Israel held a Republic Day reception on Monday evening in honor of the 99th anniversary of the declaration of Turkiye as a republic. This celebration was particularly meaningful coming on the heels of the long Covid-influenced hiatus, as well as signaling the strengthening of Israel-Turkiye bilateral relations.

The evening opened with the playing of the national anthems of Israel and Turkiye by a Turkish-Greek duet.  A message from the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. President Erdoğan expressed gratitude to the friends of Turkiye celebrating the important milestone all around the world. The president offered prayers for those who died defending Turkiye throughout the years. 

Listing Turkish successes in the last century, President Erdoğan noted that Turkish foreign policy aimed to advance justice, peace and stability in the world, and provides inspiration to people all around the world seeking to escape from oppression. From the war in Syria to addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Turkiye plays a key role in advancing peace and stability in the region.

President Erdoğan explained that Turkiye’s constant striving for success were responsible for things like the largest social housing project in Turkish history, which is set to accommodate 6 million Turkish people. The president stressed the forward thinking nature of Turkiye, with 2053 and 2071 goals, punctuated by the recent production of Turkiye’s first locally produced electric cars. Summing up the emotions of all those celebrating, President Erdoğan concluded with best wishes for health, serenity and well-being for the Republic of Turkiye and its citizens.

Mr. Mehmet F. Sekerci, the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Turkiye, welcomed all of the guests to the occasion on behalf of the embassy. Mr. Sekerci noted the incredible year of achievements in bilateral relations between Israel and Turkiye, including a historic visit by the President of Israel, Mr. Isaac Herzog, following an invitation from President Erdoğan, and the mutual visits of foreign ministers, a meeting between Prime Minister Lapid and President Erdoğan at the UN in NY, and further visits to Turkiye by the Minister of Economy, Minister Ornibai, and the Minister of Defense, Minister Gantz (the first visit by an Israeli defense minister to Turkiye in over a decade). Charge d’Affaires Sekerci explained that the proliferation of high-level visits are the product of the rapidly warming ties between the countries, to be completed with the pending assigning of ambassadors in the respective countries.

Mr. Sekerci noted that beyond the political relationship, Turkiye and Israel maintain robust economic and cultural connections, with Turkiye constituting the 5th largest trade partner for Israel, and Israel representing Turkiye’s 15th largest trade partner, with the total trade volume expected to reach 10 billion USD by the end of the year. Moreover, plans are underway to hold the fifth meeting of Turkish-Israeli joint economic activity, and resume high-level meetings to coordinate energy cooperation.

Turkiye remains a key tourist destination for many Israelis, ranking as the number one spot for flights out of Ben Gurion for three consecutive months, July-September, with an anticipated 750,000 Israelis visiting Turkiye in 2022. Mr. Sekerci concluded his remarks by thanking the Turkish Jewish community for its contributions to Israeli-Turkish relations, and inviting the guests to a photo exhibition entitled “Synagogues of Turkiye” to be opened on November 17 at the Saraya Turkish cultural center in Jaffa.

Minister of Communications, H.E. Mr. Yoaz Hendel, spoke on behalf of the Israeli government. Mr. Hendel expressed appreciation for Turkiye reaching 99 years as a republic, and enthusiasm for the warming ties between the two countries. Mr. Hendel noted the country’s historic ties, as Turkiye was the first Muslim-majority nation to recognize Israel when it was first founded. The minister expressed anticipation of further strengthening the ties between the countries in areas like agriculture, communications, health, tourism, and counterterrorism. The minister concluded his remarks with a toast together with Mr. Sekerci to the success of Turkiye and the flourishing friendship between the two nations. The guests then enjoyed dinner with authentic Doner and other Turkish delicacies. 

Among the distinguished guests in attendance were the Minister of Communications, H.E. Mr. Yoaz Hendel; Ambassador Gil Haskel, Chief of State Protocol at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former director of Mashav; the honorary consul of Spain, Mr. Wadie Abu Nassar; the honorary consul of Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Dmitry Shkaf; Mr. Matan Safran, the Israeli Economic Attache to Turkiye; Zali de Toledo, former cultural attache of Israel to Turkiye; Amer Saleh, President of the Arab Chamber of Commerce; Georgina Litvak - Corporate Account Manager - Hilton Tel Aviv; Flying Carpet CEO Eyal Kashdan, Izi Madem - Associate and Ceo - Easy Travel LTD, members of the Turkish Jewish community, and numerous diplomats and civil society leaders.

Diplomacy.co.il congratulates the embassy of Turkiye and the people of Turkiye on the 99 year anniversary.