Japan Honors Türkiye's 1985 Rescue of Citizens Stranded in Tehran

Japan has formally recognized Türkiye's efforts to evacuate Japanese nationals from Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war, presenting a letter of gratitude from Prime Minister Koizumi to Efe Ozal, son of the late President Turgut Ozal.

Yilmaz Oran, who served as director general of Turkish Airlines (THY) at the time, and members of the flight crew also received Japanese State Medals at the ceremony.

Japanese Ambassador to Ankara Tomoyuki Abe explained that hundreds of Japanese civilians were stranded in Tehran ahead of anticipated air strikes in March 1985. With Japanese aircraft unable to reach the city and other foreign carriers prioritizing their own nationals, the Japanese ambassador in Tehran turned to his Turkish counterpart for assistance.

Turgut Ozal, then serving as prime minister, directed THY to dispatch a rescue flight. The aircraft departed Tehran on 19 March 1985 carrying 215 Japanese passengers, ahead of the bombardment. Abe called the gesture an act of friendship and courage that Japanese people have not forgotten, marking the 21st anniversary of the event.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.