Turkish President Says He Is Visiting Japan To Get Outcome Of Historical Friendship

TOKYO - Turkey's President Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday he was visiting Japan to get the outcome of historical friendship between the two countries.
Turkish-Japanese relations had started after Turkish Ertugrul Frigate sank on September 16th, 1890 on its return from Japan. Ertugrul Frigate had been sent to Japan to present a medal of Ottoman Empire to Japanese emperor. Admiral Osman Pasha and 581 sailors died in the disaster. 69 survivors of the accident were taken care by Japanese government and then brought back to Turkey by a Japanese delegation.
The relations between Turkey and Japan strengthened when 215 Japanese citizens, who were trapped in Tehran during Iran-Iraq war in 1985, were rescued with a private flight held by Turkish Airlines hours before the city was bombed.
Year 2003 was celebrated as "Turkish Year" in Japan. Turkey also declared 2010 "Japanese Year".
Japan recognized Republic of Turkey on August 6th, 1924.
"Our two countries have good relations, and we are here to get the outcome of our historical friendship with Japan," Gul told reporters in Tokyo, Japan where he is paying a five-day formal visit.
Gul said it was the first time that a Turkish president was visiting Japan, and his visit would open a new page to realize the economy, tourism and investment potential between the two countries.
The Turkish president said that he would tell about investment opportunities in Turkey during his talks with Japanese executives, but told reporters that Turkey was ranked the 60th among foreign investments of Japan.
"We think that there are giant Japanese investments in Turkey when we see Toyota and Honda, but it's not so," Gul also said.
Gul defined his visit as an important opportunity to make use of the actual economic potential between Turkey and Japan.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that 170,000 Japanese tourists were visiting Turkey a year, and expressed belief that this number would increase in coming years.
Defining the Turkish Year celebrated in Japan in 2003 as an important means to promote Turkey, Gul said the Japanese Year to be marked in Turkey in 2010 would also boost cultural relations.
President Gul will meet Emperor Akihito; Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda; Satsuki Eda, the President of the House of Councillors in Japan; and Yohei Kono, the speaker of Japanese House of Representatives; in Tokyo. Gul will also attend a meeting of the Turkish-Japanese Business Forum.
(BRC-MS)
(DIP)