Türkiye ready for 'sincere efforts' to enhance ties with Czech Republic, says foreign minister

As NATO allies with common interests and shared values, Türkiye is "willing to make sincere efforts" to enhance relations with the Czech Republic, according to the Turkish foreign minister.

"We enjoy vibrant relations which are free of any acute problems. We are ready to further our bilateral relations in every aspect," Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in an article he penned for Czech daily Lidove Noviny.

"With its friendly people and rich history and culture, the Czech Republic has a special place in our ties with Central Europe," wrote Çavuşoğlu, who reached Prague on an official visit on Friday.

He emphasized the need for greater cooperation between Türkiye and Czech Republic to overcome regional and global challenges such as the crisis in Syria and the Ukraine war.

"Türkiye and the Czech Republic have a joint political will to develop our friendly relations on the basis of cooperation and mutual respect," he said, adding that the two countries approach "the centennial anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations."

Çavuşoğlu said Ankara wants to raise bilateral relations to a higher level in the coming years and is willing to make sincere efforts in this direction.

On cooperation in the field of migration, he said no country could "understand the situation in the neighboring countries of Ukraine better than Türkiye."

"Migration is a global issue which requires fair burden-sharing and tackling challenges at the very source. Türkiye does its part in this regard and remains ready to cooperate with the willing parties to this end," he added.

TRADE VOLUME

Çavuşoğlu said Türkiye and the Czech Republic pushed up their trade volume to $4.4 billion in 2021 and "are getting closer to our common target of $5 billion."

He identified the defense industry as a "promising field" for increased collaboration between the two countries.

The Turkish construction sector is also keen to work with the Czech Republic to meet its housing and infrastructure needs, he said.

Tourism is another major field for bilateral cooperation, according to Çavuşoğlu, who said Türkiye expects to be "the top destination for Czech tourists this year."

The minister also felicitated the Czech Republic on its upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union, saying it will "help to move forward Türkiye's EU membership process."