Erdoğan hosts Japan’s crown prince to mark 100 years of diplomatic ties

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Japan's Crown Prince Akishino Fumihito on Wednesday during the latter’s official visit to Türkiye, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.

During the meeting, Erdoğan presented the prince with a historical document highlighting the Ottoman Empire’s relationship with Japan, showing Ottoman General Pertev Pasha being honored by Emperor Mutsuhito.

Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko arrived in Türkiye on Tuesday evening. Their 6-day visit commemorates the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The royal couple is set to return to Japan on Sunday.

Relations between the nations span back to the Meiji Era (1868–1912), when interaction began with mutual visits and cultural exchanges. The 1890 visit of the Ottoman frigate Ertugrul to Japan was a significant event, despite its tragic sinking due to a typhoon, leading to the loss of over 500 sailors. The survivors were aided by the Japanese, with memorial ceremonies regularly held in both countries as a testament to their shared history.

Post-World War II, ties were further strengthened by Japanese imperial family visits, including one by Prince Mikasa. Both nations have supported each other in times of need, such as Japan’s aid following Türkiye’s 1999 earthquake and Türkiye’s assistance during Japan’s 2011 tsunami.

 Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko also paid a visit to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in the capital Ankara on Dec. 4.

They will engage in cultural events and further diplomatic engagements before returning to Japan on Dec. 8.

Turkish First Lady Welcomes Crown Princess Kiko

Turkish First Lady Emine Erdoğan welcomed Crown Princess Kiko on Wednesday. The meeting included a tour of Ankara’s Nation’s Library, where they visited the Fatih Sultan Mehmet exhibition, held to commemorate the 571st anniversary of Istanbul’s conquest. They also explored the library’s Japan section, which houses 600 Japanese-language books.

Following the visit, the first lady expressed hope for stronger cooperation between Türkiye and Japan.

"Our wish is for this meaningful visit to further strengthen the cooperation between our countries,” Erdoğan wrote on the social media platform X.