In 1890, the Ertugrul frigate, an Ottoman naval ship, embarked on a voyage stretching more than 10thousand kilometers to open official relations with Japan. Now more than 130 years later, a Turkish corvette took the same journey to mark the centennial of diplomatic ties between Ankara and Tokyo. Last week the TCG Kinaliada was welcomed in Japan, where it will be the centerpiece of several celebrations.

Türkiye and Japan are marking their 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations, which were established after Tokyo ratified Ankara's founding agreement the Lausanne Treaty. Despite their geographical distance being on the opposite ends of Asia, both countries have shared close economic ties. In January, during a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan heralded that this year will see the opening of the TurkishJapanese Science and Technology University in Istanbul. With both countries being located in active seismic zones, they have assisted each other in the aftermath of devastating quakes for decades. Last year after powerful quakes struck southern Türkiye on February 6, Japan sent rescue and aid teams to help search for survivors.

Strait Talk, hosted by Ayse Suberker, is TRT World’s programme that features indepth analysis of Türkiye’s role in the world.

Guest:
Korkut Gungen
Turkish Ambassador to Japan

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