Li-kuo Chen
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
October 29, 2024
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good evening! (İyi Akşamlar!)
It is a great honor to attend this reception for the 101st National Day of the Republic of Türkiye. Breaking through the 100-year mark to ascend to a new level is very meaningful. On behalf of the people and government of the ROC (Taiwan), I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people and government of Türkiye.
Sadly, last week, a terrorist attack occurred in Ankara, the capital of Türkiye, resulting in multiple casualties. We once again strongly condemn this violent attack and express our sincere condolences. We also reaffirm our solidarity with the people and government of Türkiye.
Taiwanese really enjoy traveling. Türkiye is a must-see destination due to its rich culture and history, as well as its beautiful scenic areas.
Thanks to direct flights and convenient e-visa arrangements, in recent years, nearly 100,000 Taiwanese people have visited Türkiye annually for tourism and other purposes. To my delight, this summer Turkish Airlines increased the number of direct flights between Taipei and Istanbul to 10 per week. This has created more opportunities for our peoples to interact.
There is a proverb that says “a friend in need is a friend indeed.” (Dost dostun eyerlenmiş atıdır.) After a disastrous earthquake struck Türkiye in February last year, Taiwan provided assistance. This act of friendship was reciprocated by the Turkish government this April, when a major earthquake struck Hualien. It promptly dispatched a specialized drone team to assist in the disaster assessment and rescue efforts. This virtuous circle has continued to expand throughout the international community. This is greatly appreciated by the people of Taiwan.
Following the directions of President Lai Ching-te, our government is actively promoting whole-of-society defense resilience. We hope to integrate domestic resources so as to create a society that is more stable and more resilient when faced with natural disasters and other major challenges. Taiwan is willing to further engage in exchanges with Türkiye on enhancing disaster response, as well as cooperation in the field of disaster prevention and rescue.
Türkiye is situated between Europe and Asia and serves as a member of the EU Customs Union. In addition, its sizable population and market give it great potential. Therefore, in recent years, companies such as Taiwan Cement Corporation, YC INOX, and Yeong Chin Machinery Industries Corporation have invested in Türkiye.
I would like to take this opportunity to call on all friends from the business sector attending tonight to urge the Turkish government to sign with Taiwan a bilateral investment protection memorandum and a double taxation avoidance agreement. These would further strengthen our bilateral economic and trade relations. It is anticipated that such accords would help double bilateral trade from the current two billion US dollars to four billion US dollars, benefiting both our peoples.
In closing, I would like to propose a toast: to the everlasting friendship between Taiwan and Türkiye and to the good health and happiness of the distinguished guests. Thank you.