INTERVIEW Outpouring of help deepens Korea-Turkey ties after devastating quake: ambassador
Turkish Ambassador to Korea Murat Tamer speaks during his visit to The Korea Times in central Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Envoy expresses gratitude for Korea's rapid response to disaster
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Turkish Ambassador to Korea Murat Tamer conveyed his appreciation for the assistance provided by the Korean people for his country, which was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake last week. Tamer added that the outpouring of help has "reopened the pages" of their shared history.
The ambassador said the recent earthquake made him truly recognize the brotherly bond between Korea and Turkey.
"Prior to coming to Korea, I know that there's a brotherhood between our two nations, but I thought it was just lip service for what happened 70 years ago. But when the earthquake happened, our brotherhood relations reached the second phase," the ambassador said during his visit to The Korea Times, Tuesday.
"You have to come to Korea to understand that feeling. It's not you will not understand that feeling from the distance, but once you come to Korea and see (Korean's response), it's unbelievable and it is very meaningful to us."
During the 1950-53 Korean War, Turkey was one of the countries that sent soldiers to South Korea as part of the United Nations Command, which helped to strengthen the diplomatic relations between the two countries in the years that followed.
The ambassador briefly shared the situation in Turkey, hit by a "horrible natural disaster."
"We lost over 33,000 people and the numbers are rapidly going up. Almost 100,000 people are wounded and about 10,000 houses are completely demolished, most of them not livable, too dangerous to go in," Tamer said, adding that the size of the quake-affected area is larger than the size of South Korea.
"The (Turkish) government is doing the best it can do with their resources, but this is not something that any country can handle by itself. It's why we are so happy that our Korean brothers and sisters are offering us so much help and also the international community.”
Despite the aid coming from all around the world, healing from this disaster will take time and leave lasting scars on Turkey, the ambassador added.
Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin, left, shakes hands with Turkish Ambassador to Korea Murat Tamer during his visit to The Korea Times in central Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Korea has offered $5 million in emergency humanitarian assistance and sent an initial batch of 118 rescue workers to Turkey, Feb. 7, while there are plans to send a second wave of rescue workers as well as additional relief supplies.
The ambassador expressed his amazement at the outpouring of support from Koreans, ranging from President Yoon Suk Yeol to ordinary citizens, who have been calling the embassy to inquire about ways they can contribute and donate to Turkey.
"When I tell people that I'm from Turkey, they show sympathy. This is something that words become a reality to me. We are very much grateful to have Korean brothers and sisters," he said.
Tamer added that Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-shik paid a visit to the Turkish embassy with a group of veterans to offer their condolences to the quake victims and deliver donations collected from the ministry and related organizations.
"It was a very touching, emotional moment. I told him, from my heart, in the 1950s our soldiers came here to aid their Korean brothers and sisters and about 1,000 of them lost their lives and 442 of them are at rest in Busan, where we consider their second home," he said.
"We believe that the martyrs don't die, they live among us. I told the minister that if those martyrs look at Korea now, how their blood brothers and sisters try to help Turkey with their hearts beating for Turkey, I'm sure they would feel proud to have shed their blood for thse noble people."