We project security and stability in our region and beyond and strive towards a fairer and more representative world order, said Turkish Ambassador to Georgia Ali Kaan Orbai at the reception dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.

“Our republic has turned 100. I thank you all for sharing our pride and joy with us today. I particularly want to express my gratitude to Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili for giving us the privilege and the honour to host him tonight with us on this auspicious occasion. 100 years ago, when we embarked on this journey with 14 million tired but determined people, we had few roads to mention. Today, 85 million enjoy 70,000 km of roads and 13,000 km of rail network. Back then, we had a few factories to talk about.

Today, our trade volume is USD 650 billion. With a robust industrial base and an export-driven economy, our produce reaches all corners of the world. A hundred years ago, we were battling a low literacy rate.

Today, we have 28 million students in our educational institutions. We host more than 50 million tourists each year, connecting peoples and bridging cultures as we have always done in history. As a founding member of the UN and the Council of Europe, and as a staunch ally of NATO for more than seven decades, we project security and stability in our region and beyond and strive towards a fairer and more representative world order. We not only host 5 million refugees, but in terms of per capita income, we are also a leading donor nation of relief and development aid in the world. To reach that point over the past 100 years, we have overcome many challenges and hardships. We entered our centennial facing the natural disaster of this century. On 6 February, we lost more than 50,000 souls within seconds during the earthquakes. May they find eternal peace. We are recovering from this tragedy, grow stronger and more resilient.

Let me take this occasion to express our gratitude to Georgia. As true friends, our Georgian sisters and brothers rushed to our assistance on the very same day of the earthquakes. I also want to thank Irakli Garibashvili, whom I know personally coordinated the Georgian response to our call for assistance.

Today, Georgia is our strategic partner. Our relations in all fields flourish on the base of shared values, common cultures, family bonds, and mutual respect. We will continue to be the strong supporter of Georgian sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its ever-closer integration with the Euro-Atlantic security and political structures”, - said the Ambassador.