President Lee - 'Türkiye is a Blood Ally—Joint Cooperation in Bio, Nuclear Power, and Defense'

(Seoul=Yonhap Infomax) Ji Seo Jeong = President Lee Jae-myung, currently on a state visit to Türkiye, emphasized on the 24th (local time) that "Türkiye is a 'brother nation' and a blood ally," pledging to strengthen cooperation across various sectors.

President Lee made these remarks during a joint press statement following a 103-minute summit with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Palace in Ankara.

This visit marks the final stop of President Lee's tour of four Middle Eastern and African countries. The day began with a wreath-laying ceremony at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, followed by an official welcome at the Presidential Palace and the summit with President Erdoğan.

President Lee stated, "This year marks the 75th anniversary of Türkiye's participation in the Korean War and my first year in office. It is deeply meaningful to visit Türkiye, a 'brother nation' with whom we have shared blood."

He added, "Türkiye has maintained a special relationship with the Republic of Korea even before diplomatic ties were established, and since 1957, our bilateral relations have developed rapidly. Today, we discussed a wide range of measures to deepen our solidarity."

The two countries discussed concrete cooperation in defense, nuclear power, bio, and infrastructure, signing three memoranda of understanding (MOUs) covering nuclear power plant construction, road infrastructure, and recognition and exchange for Korean War veterans.

The nuclear cooperation MOU includes the formation of a joint working group to implement nuclear power projects between Korea and Türkiye.

According to the Presidential Office, this agreement enables South Korea to participate from the early stages, such as site evaluation, in Türkiye's planned Sinop 2nd Nuclear Power Plant project, laying the groundwork for future project bids.

In the joint press statement, President Lee highlighted the nuclear project, saying, "Both governments will ensure that the remaining detailed evaluation process for Türkiye's Sinop nuclear project proceeds smoothly. We expect Korea's advanced nuclear technology and safe operational capabilities to make a substantial contribution to Türkiye's nuclear development."

An MOU on cooperation in road infrastructure was also signed.

The Presidential Office explained that Korea and Türkiye, or in third countries, will jointly identify PPP (public-private partnership) road projects, facilitating the participation of Korean companies in large-scale PPP projects commissioned by the Turkish government.

President Lee noted, "We have evaluated the exemplary infrastructure cooperation between our countries in projects such as the Çanakkale Bridge and the Eurasia Undersea Tunnel. With the signing of the 'Road Project Cooperation MOU' during this state visit, both governments will work to further solidify infrastructure collaboration."

Additionally, an MOU was signed to enhance social and economic recognition for Korean War veterans and their families, and to promote exchanges between veterans' organizations and descendants.

There were also specific mentions of defense industry cooperation.

President Lee said, "Both countries will continue joint production, technology cooperation, and training exchanges. We look forward to creating more cases of collaboration like the Altay tank project."

The Altay tank is Türkiye's main battle tank developed based on South Korea's K2 Black Panther tank.

On the bio sector, President Lee stated, "We welcome the participation of South Korean company SK Plasma in Türkiye's blood product self-sufficiency project. Given our blood alliance, this project holds even greater significance."

He added, "We have also agreed to deepen cooperation in advanced science and technology, including renewable energy, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital sectors. With the signing of the wind power cooperation MOU between CS Wind and Türkiye's Enerji, we expect to strengthen collaboration in renewable energy."

The two leaders also agreed to resume the Korea-Türkiye Economic Joint Committee after a 10-year hiatus to review cooperation in each sector.

Furthermore, a "Joint Statement on the Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Türkiye" was adopted, encompassing bilateral cooperation measures.

Messages were also exchanged regarding regional issues, including the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East.

President Lee said, "This state visit is significant as we have agreed to enhance humanitarian assistance to help resolve the Syrian refugee issue in Türkiye."

He added, "We appreciate President Erdoğan and the Turkish government's consistent support for our North Korea policy, and we also highly value President Erdoğan's efforts to promote peace in the Middle East."

jsjeong@yna.co.kr

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