Celebrating the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Turkey, Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Ramis Şen on Thursday said they are working together with Bangladesh to increase the bilateral trade and investment and enhance business-to-business relations between the two countries.

“There are important Turkish investments in Bangladesh and their representatives are among us today. We are encouraging the Turkish business community for further investments," he said.

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The envoy and his wife Zühal Şen hosted a reception at the Ambassador's residence in the capital's Madani Avenue.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan joined the event as the chief guest, while State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibut Rahman, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Principal Staff Officer of the Prime Minister's Office, Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General Mizanur Rahman Shameem attended the event as special guests.

The event was also joined by Ambassadors and High Commissioners of different countries. Turkish citizens residing in Bangladesh and civil society members joined the event.

Lauding the relationship between the two nations, Ambassador Ramis Şen said, “The Republic of Turkey and the People's Republic of Bangladesh have strong and deep-rooted relations. National poet of Bangladesh Kazi Nazrul Islam is one of the greatest symbols of friendship between our countries. In his poem "Kemal Pasha", Kazi Nazrul Islam expresses deep respect and appreciation to Türkiye, Turkish people and Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Founder of the Republic of Türkiye during Turkish War of Independence.”

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In 2023, bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Bangladesh was over $1.1 billion. This figure is far from reflecting our potential, the ambassador said at the event.

“Taking this opportunity, I wish to thank Mr Salahuddin Kasem Khan, a well-known business person and Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Chittagong, who has been serving for promotion of our bilateral relations for almost 40 years. In the second quarter of this year, we will have political consultations between our Foreign Ministries and we will comprehensively review all dimensions of our bilateral relations,” Ambassador Ramis Şen mentioned.

The envoy stated that last year, over 55 million tourists visited Turkey. "I am pleased that Türkiye is one of the favourite tourism destinations for Bangladeshi nationals as well. Turkish Airlines has daily direct flights between Dhaka and Istanbul and it is making great contributions to the promotion of our bilateral relations.”

“I should also point out to the popularity of Turkish movies/serials in Bangladesh, like in other parts of the world,” he said, focusing on the cultural relationship between the two nations.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan also mentioned this, stating that the Turkish historical fiction television series ‘Sultan Suleyman’, based on the life of Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, is massively popular among the Bangladeshi audiences.

The Turkish Ambassador further stated, “On the 6th of February last year, our country experienced a devastating earthquake. I wish to pay my tribute to Turkish citizens who lost their lives during the earthquake. I wish Allah's mercy upon them.”

“Taking this opportunity, I wish to reiterate our gratitude for the support and solidarity extended to us by the People and Government of Bangladesh in the aftermath of the earthquake. I also remember with deep respect and gratitude our former Ambassador to Bangladesh, H.E. Devrim Öztürk, who passed away during the earthquake,” he stated.

A special raffle draw was held at the event, courtesy of Turkish Airlines.

This was followed by an enthralling series of dance recitals on some of the popular Bangla songs, performed by the young performers of Bangladesh Shishu Academy and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.