Dear Romanian friends,

Dear Turkish citizens living in Romania and members of the Turkish and Tatar community,

Welcome to the website of our Embassy!

As of January 25th, 2023, I have assumed my duty as the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Romania.

It is an honor to take this position on the year when we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Republic. 2023 also represents the 90th anniversary of the Friendship Agreement signed between Türkiye and Romania, as well as the 145th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Inspired by this deep-rooted history, I would like to emphasize that we will make the utmost effort to take forward the cooperation between Türkiye and Romania to an even higher level and to further strengthen our friendship ties.

Our strategic partnership, built on solid foundations of deep-rooted relations with our friend, neighbor and NATO ally Romania, has culminated in the decision to establish a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council mechanism.

Our bilateral relations have been gaining momentum lately with high-level contacts and visits, and it is making progress in every field from trade to culture, education to tourism. Faced with the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, which affects not only our region but the whole world, our dialogue with Romania on regional matters is also of great importance. We are also in close coordination with our Romanian friends with regard to our EU accession process, for which Romania has always shown its sincere support.

One of the most important aspects of the strong relations between Türkiye and Romania is represented by our economic and commercial ties. As a matter of fact, Romania is Türkiye's most important trade partner within the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe. The value of Turkish investments in Romania, together with investments from third countries, has exceeded 7.5 billion USD. Bilateral trade volume has reached a new record by the end of 2022, amounting to 10.3 billion USD; our new target is to reach 15 billion USD. Efforts of our businessmen in Romania make a great contribution to our economic ties. In this respect, I would like you to know that our Embassy, as it has done all along, will continue to support mutual trade and investments.

The successful integration of the Turkish-Tatar community in Romania represents a solid pillar of friendship in our bilateral relations. We are proud of the achievements of our kinsmen, who have lived in Romania for centuries and formed a bridge of friendship between our countries. Romania has become homeland for them as well as a second home for our citizens who have established themselves in the country since the 1990s, making a contribution to Romania in allwalks of life. Together with our ally and strategic partner Romania, we will carry forward our close relations, not only in the economic field, but also through people to people dialogue. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Romanian government for the inclusive environment they have always provided that allows the Turkish community to express themselves freely in all respects.

I would like to emphasize that our door is always open to our Romanian friends, Turkish citizens and Turkish-Tatar community members. You may reach us through our communication channels and share with us your valuable opinions and suggestions.

Wishing you well, best regards.

Özgür Kıvanç ALTAN