Turkish ambassador to Malaysia Emir Salim Yuksel recalled the proclamation of the Turkish republic by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on Oct 29, 1923, after the Turkish people fought long wars for the liberation of their homeland.
Under the great leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, they successfully cleared their borders of occupying forces under very difficult circumstances.
“I am confident that the future generations will grasp the importance of being independent as a nation and continue to cherish it. Our republic is proud of its achievements and just like its glorious past, we believe, it will have a glorious future”, he said.
Describing the journey from the Ottoman Empire to the modern Republic of Turkey as a tough but glorious process, Yuksel stated that Turkish people had to endure long wars of the late 19th century, fought in the Balkan Wars of 1912-13 and World War One, as well as the illegal occupation of parts of Anatolia.
He said the modernisation and centralisation process of the state had already begun as early as the 18th century during the Ottoman times.
“With the republic, we accomplished an even greater reform and modernisation process.
“In other words, Turkey is a direct successor of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the foundation of the republic, in many ways, is a result of a process dating back to the Ottoman modernisation period,” he said.
Highlighting Turkey’s robust economic growth over the past 100 years since gaining independence, Yuksel also emphasised his country’s development in the defence sector, which he said took a significant leap forward after the Cyprus Peace Operation in 1974.
“We are proud of our armed forces. At the same time, we fully grasped the reality that we have to be self-sufficient or at least close to being self-sufficient in defence matters.
“The same understanding goes for our counter-terrorism operations. We have capable, nationally produced defence industry products to support our defence forces in countering terrorism,” he said.
On Turkey’s 100th national day celebration in Kuala Lumpur, Yuksel expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Malaysians who shared enthusiasm for the centenary of the Turkish republic.
He said he is honoured and extremely lucky to be celebrating the special occasion in Kuala Lumpur, adding that he believes every Turkish citizen living in Malaysia feels the same.
“As the Turkish ambassador in Kuala Lumpur, I would like to add that I feel the deepest joy and excitement for being able to celebrate this happy day with our Malaysian brothers and sisters,” Yuksel said.