Hasina inaugurates Bangladesh embassy complex in Ankara via video link

Bangladesh is keen to take forward its ties with Turkey for the benefits of the two nations, Sheikh Hasina has said.

The relations between the two countries are deeply rooted in shared history, faith, and traditions based on mutual trust and confidence, said the prime minister as she virtually inaugurated the embassy complex of Bangladesh in Ankara.

Formal diplomatic ties between the two countries began in 1974, nearly 50 years ago, Hasina said. “The relationship, however, can be traced in the 13th century when Turkic General Ikhteer Uddin Muhammad Bakhtiar Khiljee conquered Bengal,” she said.

She fondly recalled her visit to Ankara at the invitation of the then prime minister and now President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Apr 13, 2012.

The distinct red-brick cladding on the embassy complex would resonate for long the Bangladeshi architectural impression and heritage, the prime minister said.

It has all facilities along with an auditorium and hosts a bust of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with a Shahid Minar.

Hasina commended the Turkish leadership for its success in fighting the deadly pandemic that has battered the health systems and the economies of most of the countries across the world.

“I also appreciate its (Turkey) initiative to dispatch medical supplies to different countries, including Bangladesh,” she said.

The prime minister thanked Turkey for extending support to Bangladesh on various issues, including the Rohingya crisis.