Honorable Ministers,

Distinguished members of the Parliament,

Your Royal Highness,

Excellences, Dear colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor to welcome you all to our National Day anniversary concert. October 29, 1923 marks the birth of modern Turkey and the culmination of a four-year long struggle for independence. Since then, people of the young Republic joined forces to realize the vision of the founding father of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, to establish a democratic, secular and prosperous state. Today, as we celebrate this day with pride and joy, we remember once again with deep gratitude the architects of modern Turkey.

Dear guests,

Turkish-Romanian relations have been steadily developing in the last 3 decades. At the basis of this relationship lie the strong NATO bond, the existing strategic partnership, and above all the mutual political commitment to advance cooperation.

Today we are happy to see the concrete results of this partnership. Indeed, numbers speak for themselves: Our bilateral trade stands at the level of 5 billion dollars, making Turkey the 5^th largest trading partner of Romania. More than 14 thousand Turkish companies operate here with an overall investment of about 6 billion dollars. Every year we host about half a million Romanian tourists in Turkey.

Obviously, the strongest human bond between our countries is the Turkish-Tatar community and the growing Turkish expat community. As an integral part of the Romanian society, they contribute both to Romania’s development and to the strengthening of bilateral relations.

Having this solid background, diversity and dynamism, we firmly believe that Turkish-Romanian relations will continue to develop to the benefit of our peoples. In the midst of rising challenges, our countries will continue to be factors of stability and security in their wider regions, notably in the Black Sea and the Balkans.

Dear guests,

Tonight, using the powerful tool of music, a group of Turkish artists will delight us with a colorful program, reflecting the vibrant cultures of our two countries. This special event was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors, friends and volunteers. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to them. Hoping that you will enjoy the concert, I thank you for joining us tonight in the celebration of the Turkish Republic Day.

Now, allow me to say a few words in Turkish to the members of the Turkish–Tatar and expat communities.