15 June 2016 - The Philippine Embassy in Ankara held its Diplomatic Reception in Commemoration of the 118th Anniversary of Philippine Independence on June 02 at Hilton Hotel in the presence of more than 500 guests from the diplomatic missions and international organizations in Turkey, members of the Filipino communities and their employers, and friends.
Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Maria Rowena Mendoza Sanchez, in her speech, honored the unwavering sacrifices of Philippine noble heroes for independence in 1898, and that Filipinos celebrated the recently concluded successful and peaceful Presidential election in May 2016, expressing her appreciation for Turkey’s continuous support to the Philippines. She also highlighted the many similarities of the Philippines and Turkey in humanitarian expertise, peacekeeping and inter-civilizational dialogue.
Turkey’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Naci Koru was the Chief Guest. In his speech, he cited Turkish Airlines daily flights to the Philippines, the establishment of the Turkish Development Agency (TIKA) in Manila and the assignment of a Turkish Military Attaché in the Turkish Embassy in Manila, as among the latest key milestones and developments in bilateral relations between the two countries. He also congratulated the Philippines for its peaceful and record-breaking electoral turnout of the May 2016 election and has expressed Turkey’s commitment to continue to work with the new administration.
After the speeches, Ambassadors Sanchez and Koru were joined by the Ambassadors of ASEAN, namely Ambassador Mohd Sahrip Othman of Brunei Darussalaam; Ambassador Wardana of Indonesia; Ambassador Dato Amran Mohamed Zin of Malaysia; Ambassador A Selvarajah of Singapore; Ambassador Tharit Charungvat of Thailand; and Ambassador Pham Anh Tuan of Viet Nam, the Chair of the Ankara ASEAN Committee (AAC), during the ceremonial cutting of the cake and for the traditional ASEAN handshake of solidarity. END
