Legislators yesterday inaugurated six new associations, including parliamentary friendship groups with Turkish, European, Latin American and Austronesian legislatures.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lai Hui-yuan (賴惠員) led the effort to found the Taiwan-Turkiye Parliamentary Amity Association and is to serve as chairwoman.
The association would seek to bolster existing friendship and cooperation between the two sides, while looking to enhance tourism with more weekly direct flights, Lai told an event at the legislature in Taipei.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Turkish Representative to Taiwan Muhammed Berdibek was the guest of honor, along with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hsieh Wu-chiao (謝武樵) and six other DPP legislators, including Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑), Michelle Lin (林楚茵) and Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱).
In her address, Lai said that the two countries have long-standing collaboration in business, trade, agriculture technology and exports, reaching US$6 billion in total trade value last year.
“We look forward to expanding trade and cooperation in business, science and technology, and agriculture, as well as enhancing
tourism for more Taiwanese to visit the beautiful country of Turkey,” Lai said, adding that she plans to travel there with other legislators in July or August this year.
Berdibek welcomed the visit by legislators and all Taiwanese, saying the whole country is open for tourism.
There are four direct flights weekly between Taiwan and Istanbul, which serves as the hub to other regions of the country, he said.
“We look forward to expanding the tourism sector, but also for more trade between our countries and cooperation in other sectors,” he said.
He mentioned a number of sister-city arrangements and university science and technology programs, as well as Turkish students coming to Taiwan for degree programs and technical training.
Lai said that although Taiwan and Turkey are geographically far apart, “citizens in both countries cherish peace and democracy in pursuit of progress... So we are natural partners and supportive friends on the world stage.”
When Taiwan experienced the Jiji Earthquake on Sept. 21, 1999, Turkey immediately sent its “AKUT” rescue team to arrive in Taiwan the next day as the first international unit to arrive, Lai said.
“Last year when southern Turkey was hit by a devastating earthquake, more than 16,000 Taiwanese donated to the cause, sending more than 400 tonnes of goods, more than NT$900 million (US$28.6 million), more than 100 trained rescue workers and five sniffer dogs for assistance," she added.
The amity group could promote closer links between parliamentarians of both countries for cooperation between government departments to meet the challenges of a globalized world, Lai said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS