Japanese PM Abe receives Turkish Deputy PM Akdağ in Tokyo

TOKYO

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on April 4 received Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdağ, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing government officials. 

During the meeting at Prime Ministry residence in Tokyo, Akdağ expressed willingness to enhance cooperation in all fields with Japan.

The deputy prime minister also conveyed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and PM Binali Yildirim’s good wishes to Abe.

Akdağ said Turkey wants to speed up its cooperation with Japan in the field of disaster management and the relevant ministers should prepare a five-year joint action plan in this regard.

During the meeting, Abe pointed out that cooperation and bilateral ties in all fields are becoming stronger after the Frigate Ertuğrul incident.

Japan wants to develop deep strategic partnership with Turkey, the Japanese prime minister added.

Turkey opened its embassy in Japan in 1925 and since then, links between the nations have risen to a “strategic partnership,” according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry website.

A bond was formed during the Ottoman era when the Frigate Ertuğrul sank off the coast of Japan as it returned from a goodwill visit in 1890.

Nearly 600 lost their lives but Japan’s rescue effort and the support shown to survivors sealed friendly ties between the peoples of both countries.

A French-Japanese consortium is involved in plans to build a nuclear power plant near the Sinop province on the Black Sea coast.