President Gül Highlights Turkish-Latvian Deep-Rooted Relations

President Gül, during a joint news conference he held with President Berzins of Latvia, expressed his happiness that “there are two growing and healthy economies in Europe today which are Turkey and Latvia.”

President Abdullah Gül and President Andris Berzins of Latvia, who is paying a state visit to Turkey, held a joint news conference at the Çankaya Presidential Palace.

DEEP-ROOTED RELATIONS

President Gül, evincing his pleasure to welcome President Berzins and his delegation to Turkey, declared that Turkish-Latvian relations are deep-rooted and informed his audience that the Turkish soldiers, who were taken as captives in Pleven during the 1877-1878 Ottoman-Russian War were taken to the Latvian soil, where they died later. These soldiers, he said, rest in a cemetery for martyrs in the city of Cesis today.

The Republic of Turkey, the President noted, established its diplomatic relations with Latvia in 1925 when the two countries signed a Friendship Agreement. He further stated that they will mark the 90th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries and said they will carry out several activities as part of this. “Turkey never recognized the occupation of Latvia by the Soviet army in 1944. After Latvia gained its independence in 1991, we resumed our friendship and relations.”

Pointing out that Turkey and Latvia signed a Friendship and Cooperation Agreement in 1994, President Gül reiterated that the relationship between the two countries has considerably grown since. Turkey and Latvia, he said, are allies in NATO.

GREAT TRADE POTENTIAL TO SEIZE

The President further informed the press that during the talks between their delegations, they had discussed the ongoing incidents in the region including Ukraine and Crimea, adding that they have reaffirmed their resoluteness to boost the existing relations and cooperation between Turkey and Latvia. “I’m happy to reiterate that there are two growing and healthy economies in Europe today which are Turkey and Latvia. The agreement signed today demonstrates that our economic relations can be carried to higher levels. We believe that we can augment the current volume of trade between our countries to one billion dollars in the shortest time. Such Turkish firms as THY, GAMA, TAV and HAVAŞ have already assumed huge projects in Latvia.”

LATVIA’S SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S MEMBERSHIP PROCESS TOWARD THE EU

President Gül further pointed to Latvian term presidency in the EU which it will assume in 2015, saying: “I am certain that Latvia will successfully conduct this duty. I believe that as our ally that has always stood by Turkey in its accession process toward the EU, Latvia will continue to support us in this regard during its term presidency of the EU.”

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