By Merve Yildizalp
ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz greeted Romania on its national day on Wednesday, saying Ankara and Bucharest are strategic partners and allies with a shared history and strong humanitarian and cultural ties.
Yilmaz made these remarks at a reception hosted by Romanian Ambassador to Ankara Stefan Alexandru Tinca at a local hotel, adding that there is a strong desire on both sides to strengthen relations in many areas of mutual interests, including security, economy, and culture.
He said a very productive year had passed in terms of relations with Romania, recalling that he paid a visit to Romania in April before the Türkiye-Romania High Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting, during which he held productive meetings with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and his reciprocal visit to Türkiye in May.
The vice president recalled that Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat was in Bucharest last week for the 2nd Term Meeting of the Türkiye-Romania Economic and Trade Joint Commission, where he was pleased that the joint protocol signed strengthened new cooperation opportunities, particularly in the defense industry, energy, green transformation, and digital economy.
- Turkish companies undertaking important infrastructure projects in Romania
He said cooperation with Romania continues in relations with the EU, particularly in the modernization of the customs union, and that “our trade volume with Romania, our largest trade partner in Southeastern Europe, is over $10 billion. Our new target is $15 billion. There is already a Turkish investment volume of around $8 billion in Romania. The interest of our investors in Romania is gradually increasing.
“We see that Turkish investment and labor force in Romania stands out in terms of the expertise and competence required, as well as their ease of adaptability to the Romanian business world.
“We are also pleased that Turkish companies are undertaking important infrastructure projects in Romania. I believe that cooperation and mutual investments between the business worlds of the two countries will increase further in the coming period on the basis of a win-win approach.”
- Positive momentum in bilateral relations
Pointing out that the positive momentum in bilateral relations is also supported by regional cooperation, Yilmaz said the determination to continue joint efforts to maintain peace, prosperity, and stability in the region remains strong.
He reiterated that the “Black Sea Mine Countermeasure Task Group,” which was established with Bulgaria as coastal NATO allies, became operational in July and that the Turkish and Tatar communities in Romania have a special place in the humanitarian dimension of relations.
Emphasizing that these communities serve as a strong bridge between Türkiye and Romania with their centuries-old presence in Romania, Yilmaz said: “We are connected to our compatriots by a bond of heart. They live a peaceful and happy life in Romania. They freely exercise their rights guaranteed by the Constitution. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Romanian authorities for their inclusive approach towards our compatriots.”
*Writing by Efe Ozkan