Latin American envoys in Turkey mark 200th year of independence of their nations

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Several Latin American ambassadors to Turkey on Thursday marked their nation's 200th anniversary of independence with a wreath-laying ceremony in the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey.

The event, in which ambassadors of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Brazil participated, will be the launch of a series of joint cultural and academic activities to mark the bicentennial of these Latin American countries, as well as the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey, they said in a joint press release.

"The Latin American countries enjoy excellent relations with Turkey. Therefore, to celebrate these special occasions, from 2021 to 2023, the Embassies will undertake a series of joint cultural and academic activities— together with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs—, to establish a path towards 2023, when the Republic of Turkey will commemorate 100 years of its establishment," the ambassadors said.

While Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Peru entered their bicentennial year, Brazil is set to mark in 2022 and Turkey will celebrate the centennial of the foundation in 2023.

"The celebrations also seek to raise awareness of the ever-growing relations between Turkey and these Latin American countries," they continued.

The activities will include concerts, culinary events, movie screenings and other cultural and academic events.

Turkish Foreign Ministry also said that "2021 and the next two years represent important points in the history of Turkey and some of the Latin American countries with whom Turkey enjoys excellent relations."

"Turkey has a long-standing record of diplomatic, political, economic and cultural cooperation with the countries of the region," the ministry said in a statement. "In the last two decades since the launch of Turkey's dedicated Latin American outreach policy, this relationship has been further strengthened and diversified, becoming a strategic pillar of Turkey's foreign policy."

All sides are "firmly committed" to advance their relations in "every possible field" and to serve the common interests and expectations of their peoples, it concluded.