President Gül Hosts Official Dinner in Honor of President Komorowski
05.03.2014
President Abdullah Gül and First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül hosted an official dinner in honor of Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski and First Lady Anna Komorowska at the Çankaya Presidential Palace. Delivering a speech at the dinner, President Gül noted that Turkey and Poland are marking the 600th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and said: “There are very few states in history that have continued such an intense and long lasting relationship as Turkey and Poland have enjoyed. The most important lesson we have learned from this deep-rooted history is that friendship and cooperation are much more valuable than competition.”
President Abdullah Gül and First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül hosted an official dinner in honor of Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski and First Lady Anna Komorowska at the Çankaya Presidential Palace
DEEP-ROOTED HISTORY AND INTERACTION BETWEEN TURKEY AND POLAND
Noting that Turkey and Poland are marking the 600th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, President Gül said: “There are very few states in history that have continued such an intense and long lasting relationship as Turkey and Poland have enjoyed. The most important lesson we have learned from this deep-rooted history is that friendship and cooperation are much more valuable than competition. The history of our relations which date back 600 years comprises the foundation of our political and human bonds. Many Polish historical figures are remembered for the richness that they added to our common cultures and relations. The traces of this intense interaction can be felt vividly today as well. For instance, the Polish Ambassador to Istanbul in the 17th century authored the most important Turkish dictionary and grammar book of that time. It was Bobowski, known by Turkish as Ali Ufki Bey, who first wrote the Ottoman court music in notes. Stanislav Chlebowski was an Ottoman court painter whose works are on display at the 600th anniversary exhibition that we will open together tomorrow. The memory of the Polish people, whom Sultan Abdülmecid protected by saying ‘I can surrender my crown and throne but never surrender the people who took refuge in my state’, is engraved in our common history in gold letters. These grateful Polish friends of Turkey who came to our country and who devoted themselves to the cause of independence became our heroes too. This is the understanding that made Turkey the second homeland for the Polish people who were under the leadership of Prince Adam Czartorisky. According to a story which is widely accepted by both peoples, in this land where the notorious attempt aiming to eradicate Poland from the surface of history between 1795 and 1918 was not recognized, this is the friendship that reserved the place of the Polish Ambassador at the Ottoman Palace for 123 years. It is the same spirit of friendship that made Poland’s national poet Mikiyevich say the following: ‘The Turks were our only friends during the days when no state raised their voices against the suppression of Poland by its neighbors…Even if I knew that I would die from cholera, I would still come to Istanbul because I would rather serve as a clerk of a Turkish batallion than serve as a general clerk at the French Academy of Science. Likewise, this is also the same understanding that made the saying ‘unless the Turkish horses drink water from the River Visula, Poland cannot be saved’ become famous in Poland. With the independence of Poland after the First World War during which the Turkish people and their Polish friends fought side by side on the Galicia Front, this prophecy came true in a way. The most tangible demonstration of the existing deep-rooted fellowship between our peoples is Polenezköy known as Adampol in Poland that we will visit tomorrow. This beautiful place in Istanbul will remain forever the most living personification of our historical friendship.”
CHAMPIONS OF COMMON VALUES IN INTERNATIONAL PLATFORMS
The President further reiterated that Turkish-Polish relations continued vividly during the Republic era as well and recalled that Poland recognized Turkey one day before the Lausanne Agreement was signed. Recalling that during the first years of the Republic, Polish engineers and specialists carried out important duties in Turkey, President Gül underscored that the model P-24 plane designed by Poland and produced in a factory in Kayseri serves as the best example of our cooperation.
Although taking their places on different sides during the Cold War, Poland and Turkey embraced each other again during the 1990s, said the President, adding that Poland’s return to Europe made the Turkish people as happy as the people of Poland. I hereby would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Poland on the 25th anniversary of its transition to democracy, the 15th anniversary of its membership in NATO and the 10th anniversary of its membership in the EU. We are not only two allies and good friends but we also defend our common principles and values in such platforms as OSCE and the Council of Europe.”
The President later declared that Turkey’s strategic orientation, which is its membership in the EU, will add new dimensions to its cooperation with Poland. He further extended his thanks to the Polish President for Poland’s support for Turkey in its membership process toward the EU, pointing out that there are more than 2.000 Turkish citizens at Polish universities. The youth, he said, will carry these relations rising on a strong foundation to the future.
