Turkey-Korea brotherhood: a solid bond strengthened by tragedies

By Murat Tamer

Turkey-Korea relations have very strong foundations, dating back to a shared history in Central Asia. The Korean War of 1950-1953, during which Turkish soldiers fought for the freedom of the Korean nation, was a turning point in our relations.

Despite the fact that they were at war, these soldiers did not turn a blind eye to society's needs and they tried their best with the means they had at hand.

The Ankara School, which was established in Suwon, is an example of this support.

The war created a “blood brotherhood” between the two nations, which will last forever. Our martyrs who are lying?in dignity at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan, are a solid symbol of this.

Now, the earthquake disaster that occurred in Turkey's southeastern provinces on Feb. 6, 2023, has revived the brotherhood between our nations. History repeated itself in another way and the two nations have become much closer with a common goal of overcoming the ashes of significant destruction, that have been created by what some scientists prefer to describe as twin earthquakes.

The leadership of President Yoon Suk Yeol, in helping our country overcome this difficult period, is highly appreciated. From the very first day of the disaster, he declared strong support for Turkey ― a real brotherly and exemplary support.

On Feb. 8, 2023, the first Korean search and rescue team consisting of 118 officials arrived in Turkey. They worked with great dedication, discipline and compassion and so far saved many lives from the rubble. Turkey's people and government are grateful to them.

We welcome the recent announcement made by the Korean government that a second medical and rescue team will go to Turkey in order to further contribute to relief efforts. In addition, a number of tents and blankets will be delivered to the earthquake area.

We are thankful for this assistance, as due to the harsh winter conditions, tents, blankets, generators, hygiene kits, baby and adult diapers and portable toilets are among the items that are needed most urgently.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to warn our Korean brothers against ill-intentioned persons and so-called organizations attempting to exploit the goodwill of our citizens and our Korean sisters/brothers who are mobilized to heal our wounds following the earthquake in our country.

In this regard, I would like to point out that we are not coordinating our relief efforts with anybody other than Turkish Airlines. We especially request our citizens and Korean sisters/brothers to make their donations to the Turkish Embassy, AFAD, Kızılay (Red Crescent) and Korean Red Cross as well as other reliable and well-known institutions.

Both financial and humanitarian aid are continuing to reach Turkey. The Turkish Embassy in Seoul receives hundreds of calls each day with questions on how to deliver aid to Turkey. As recently illustrated in a painting by Myeong Min-ho, which touched our hearts deeply, Koreans are saying, “You helped us in the Korean War. Now it is our turn to help you.”

We will never forget this strong support and I believe after the earthquakes, the historical bonds between the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Korea will turn into another phase where interactions at both the official as well as unofficial levels will rapidly increase.

At this moment, on behalf of the Turkish nation, government and myself, I would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to our Korean sisters and brothers for their sincere support and solidarity.

Geographically our two countries are distanced, but our hearts are beating for each other.

Murat Tamer is the ambassador of Turkey to Korea.