By Tevfik Durul
ANKARA (AA) – Taiwan’s Oct. 10 National Day reception was held on Tuesday at its mission in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Hosted by Taipei's Economic and Cultural Mission Representative Yaser Tai-Hsiang Cheng, the program was attended by a number of dignitaries as well as Celalettin Guvenc, an MP from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.
Cheng said trade relations between Taiwan and Turkey play a major role. He said Taiwan's export volume to Turkey was $1.6 billion in 2017. He added Taipei and Ankara enjoy cooperation in the areas of culture, science, technology, tourism and logistics.
He also praised the initiation of direct flights between Istanbul and Taipei since 2015 as the most important tangible advancement in mutual ties. Cheng added around 80,000 Taiwanese tourists visit Istanbul every year.
In March 2015, Turkey's national air carrier Turkish Airlines launched direct flights to Taipei as part of its efforts to expand its business in the Asia-Pacific region.
Taiwan's national day commemorates the 1911 Wuchang Uprising, which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC) in 1912.
The government of the ROC eventually lost control of the mainland during the Chinese Civil War (1927-1950) and relocated to Taiwan in December 1949.
