President Moon Jae-in met with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim at Cheong Wa Dae today. The Prime Minister is visiting Seoul in the year of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Turkey.

President Moon welcomed him by saying that the Korean people regard Turkey as a brother nation, expressing his profound gratitude to Turkish Korean War veterans and the people of Turkey who stood with Koreans in times of difficulty.

Turkey demonstrated a blood friendship by sending some 20,000 troops during the Korean War. Turkey and Korea also have had a longstanding relationship dating back to the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 BCE-668 CE) when an alliance was forged between the two sides. During the third-place play-off match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, Koreans rooted for both Korea and Turkey.

President Moon noted that our two countries have broadened cooperation over the past six decades on diverse fronts, including politics, the economy and culture, evolving into strategic partners. Highlighting the geographical importance of Turkey as a bridge linking Asia and Europe, the President asked for cooperation from Turkey with regard to the Korean Government’s New Northern Policy in pursuit of a Eurasian peace accord.

Prime Minister Yildirim said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intends to visit Korea next year to solidify the strategic partnership between the two countries. The Prime Minister went on to say that the similarity between the peoples of the two nations is to live with loyalty and repay kindness. 

Noting that Turkey considers Korea an exemplary case of astonishing economic progress, the Prime Minister said Turkey is also hoping to achieve rapid economic development by following in Korea’s footsteps. 

Before coming to Cheong Wa Dae, Prime Minister Yildirim said he watched the Turkish film Ayla: The Daughter of War along with Korean Ambassador to Turkey Cho Yunsoo and Turkish Korean War veterans. The Prime Minister went on to say that the film was a love story about a Turkish soldier who took part in the Korean War and an orphaned Korean girl. He said millions of Turkish people watched the movie already and it was nominated for an Oscar. 

Expressing the hope that the film, the best demonstration of brotherly love and a sense of bond between the peoples of the two countries, would be shown in theaters in Korea, Prime Minister Yildirim said he hoped that bilateral economic and trade relations would be developed further in the months to come.