Your Excellency, Ambassador Özgür Kıvanç Altan,
Dear members of the diplomatic corps,
Distinguished guests,
Iyi akșamlar!
It is a great honor and a personal joy to be once again here with you, to celebrate the 102nd Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye. Having also been here last year, I am particularly proud and grateful to witness once again the same spirit of friendship and warmth that characterizes our relations.
Allow me, first, to extend my heartfelt support to all affected by the earthquake of last night in Balıkesir Province. As always, we stand in solidarity and we are ready to help in any way.
It is already well known that there is a strong and enduring relationship between our countries — one built on mutual respect, trust, and support that continues to grow each year, bringing more and more benefits for our citizens. So, I believe that there is no need for long speeches — our shared history and ongoing cooperation already speak for themselves.
Tonight, I invite you to look back, for a moment, to what was happening exactly 102 years ago, on the 28 October 1923, to relive the emotions of the Çankaya (ciancaia) Dinner. At that time, the Republic of Türkiye already existed in spirit, though not yet in law. Its’ proclamation was an act of courage, written with vision and with faith in the power and greatness of the Turkish people.
The words of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, spoken on the horizon of a new era, remain as inspiring today as they were then: “Egemenlik kayıtsız şartsız milletindir.” (Eghemen.lic caât-sâz șart-sâz miletindir) “Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation” – by these words, the destiny of the proud and determined Turkish nation rested not in the hands of a ruler, but in the will of its people. And indeed, the Turkish people have lived up to that legacy — with resilience, courage, and determination. The Republic of Türkiye today stands as a great nation, a trusted friend, and a valued neighbor.
On this special occasion, we not only extend our heartfelt congratulations, but also reaffirm our commitment to stand by your side, as we continue building together for peace, stability, and prosperity for our peoples and for our region.
Türkiye has proven to be a key actor and an important mediator for peace, while also playing a vital role in strengthening the deterrence posture in the Black Sea, as a committed NATO Ally. Last year we launched the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council that will open even more the connections in all the fields, between our countries and peoples.
Also, this year we are celebrating 147 years of diplomatic relations, 102 years of military relations, and 14 years of Strategic Partnership. Moreover, Romania and Türkiye have already taken steps to prepare for the joint Cultural Season in 2028 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of our diplomatic relations – which underlines the forward -looking nature of our bilateral relations and our joint commitment to build for the future.
Our peoples have always inspired one another, and this mutual influence can be felt vividly in our music and culture.
Throughout Romania, the echoes of the Orient have long been present. Anton Pann, one of our great poets and composers, drew inspiration from Ottoman melodies, blending them into a sound that resonates across the Balkans. Similarly, in Turkish culture, masters such as Tanburi Cemil Bey elevated classical Ottoman music to extraordinary refinement — a style that feels remarkably familiar to our shared sensibility.
The Turkish hora, the longa and the Romanian hora — all folk dances that express joy — seem to speak the same universal language of community and celebration. They remind us that beyond history and borders, the hearts of our peoples have always moved to a similar rhythm.
We cannot speak about the ties between our nations without mentioning the remarkable figure of Dimitrie Cantemir, Prince of Moldavia — a scholar, musician, accurate historian, and true bridge between East and West. He enriched both Ottoman and European cultures, leaving us a legacy of understanding and dialogue.
And in turn, Türkiye has given to our shared heritage personalities such as poet Mehmet Niyazi or historian Kemal Karpat – important representatives of the historic tatar and turkish communities of Dobrogea. In fact, over the years our communities have built more than economic and cultural ties- have created a solid bridge of familiarity and friendship that is getting stronger each day.
Dear friends,
This year has been a good one as regards our bilateral cooperation. Türkiye remains Romania’s most important commercial partner outside the European Union, with economic exchanges reaching close to 10 billion euros in 2024. And the trend will continue to go upwards — with the construction and automotive sectors at the forefront. Around 20.000 Turkish companies are active in Romania and their number is constantly growing. This is a remarkable number, which can be explained by the fact that Turkish investors have found a factor conducive to the development of economic relations – the friendly business environment full of opportunities in Romania.
I had the opportunity a few days ago to meet a delegation of an important association of Turkish business community in Romania. We had discussions concerning the importance of the bilateral trade and commerce, the importance of Foreign Direct Investments within the Romanian economy.
As a matter of principle, the Romanian Government should dramatically increase the level of Foreign Direct Investments within the Romanian Economy in order to have a chance to reignite the economic growth and get out of the troubled waters we are navigating currently.
With already a strong economic presence here, with the cultural and historic ties I mentioned, the Republic of Turkyie is a natural economic partner.
From a different perspective, this strong economic ties served as a solid argument for an ever stronger cooperation as far as the security of our countries is concerned. Because today, everything is connected to the security.
Moreover, we share together the destiny of responsibility of peace, security and cooperation within the Black Sea region. Our strategic partnership is the expression of our common will to increase the cooperation not only on economic, but also on military and security aspects. Together, the Republic of Turkyie and Romania are stronger and can undertake more and more responsibility for the security and peace within the Black Sea. We have also common economic interests in this area, as next year, important drilling processes will start in the Black Sea on specific drilling perimeters of Romania and Turkyie and both countries have interests in a smooth and undisturbed operational drilling.
In the field of home affairs, there is still great potential to deepen our cooperation and we are committed to further intensifying our joint efforts to prevent and combat cross-border organized crime, drug and human trafficking, illegal migration, and terrorism. We, at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, are always seeking excellence in our actions and I think we can realize this together.
So, as we can observe, everything is interconnected and the best strategy for both our countries is to strengthen the chain of our friendship and cooperation continuously, to make our bond of steel-unbreakable and everlasting.
In conclusion, we are ready to increase the cooperation with Turkyie, which can also create important synergies with our partners within NATO, including the United States, as everybody expects the natural thing from us- to undertake together increasing responsibility in our region, including in the Black Sea.
Esteemed guests,
As we celebrate this day together, let us reaffirm once again the friendship and partnership between Romania and the Republic of Türkiye, which, in these exceptional times, marked by crises and conflicts that are getting closer and closer to our borders, are an asset not only for our countries, but also for our common neighborhood and for the security of the Euro-Atlantic area in general.
I would also like to express my appreciation to Ambassador Özgür for his tireless efforts to strengthening the bridge between our peoples: Mulțumesc, Özgür, pentru prietenia sinceră pe care o arătați României!
Also, I would like to show my appreciation for the excellent organization of this special anniversary!
May the Republic of Türkiye continue to prosper, and may the friendship between our two nations grow even stronger in the years to come!
Long live the friendship between Republic of Türkiye and Romania!
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti ve Romanya arasındaki dostluk yaşasın!
Teşekkür ederim!