We are excited and proud in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye. We celebrate this auspicious day in Türkiye and all around the world together with our friends who share our joy. The Maltese people are certainly at the top of the list of these friends.

The Turkish Republic was founded in 1923 by our great leader, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, his comrades and the Turkish nation following a hard-fought war of independence. In the century following this, Türkiye has overcome so many hurdles, strived for a better life for its people and, with determination, achieved today’s modern, developed and democratic country.

While establishing and consolidating its place among the prominent countries of the world, we have been following the motto of Atatürk: “Peace at home, peace in the world.” Having seen and experienced many wars in history and suffered from all forms of terrorism, Türkiye knows that the only way to development and prosperity passes through peace.

We have become one of the leading economies of the world. We produce many items domestically and the research and development and high-tech sectors have expanded considerably over the years.

Turkish exporters and the contracting sector have become leaders on a global level. Today, you can see a Turkish exporter or a contractor at work in every corner of the world.

Turkish Airlines, based at the marvellous İstanbul Airport, is a proud trademark in the sky for Türkiye. It has the widest destination network among the leading international airlines of the world. Turkish Airlines and İstanbul Airport serve as a bridge between all major world cities, as Türkiye is a bridge between the continents.

Always accepting tourism as a good way of building cultural bridges, Türkiye has become one of the top holi­day destinations in the world. We had the pleasure of hosting 52 million guests in Türkiye in 2022. We enjoy the rich natural, historical and cultural beauties of Türkiye with our guests from all around the world.

There are more than 8,000 Turkish citizens living in Malta- Erdeniz Şen

I consider myself lucky to be serving in such a friendly country as Malta. The Maltese people are making us feel at home. Our relations on every front are excellent. There are more than 8,000 Turkish citizens living in Malta, you can see the Turkish people, companies and products everywhere. Our total trade volume has reached almost €1 billion.

We suffered a massive earthquake in Türkiye in February 2023. We lost more than 50,000 citizens as a result of this ‘disaster of the century’. Our biggest consolation was the support and assistance of our friends. In this context, we have felt the warmth and support of the Maltese government, people, local councils, NGOs and media at every level.

Maltese friends, with their very big hearts, mobilised every means at their disposal to help us in those days of distress. The search and rescue efforts of the Civil Protection Department in Türkiye and the endless contribution of the volunteers and NGOs is and will always be alive in our hearts and memo­ries. The Maltese touched the hearts of Turks during those hard times.

The centennial celebrations started in October and will continue until the end of 2023. We are waiting to see all our Maltese friends at these activities.

We have no doubt that Türkiye-Malta friendship will reach new peaks during our second century.

I would like to convey, on behalf of the Turkish people, as well as on my own behalf, our best wishes for the health and happiness of the friendly people of Malta.

Erdeniz Şen is the Ambassador of Türkiye.