ISTANBUL

A ceremony was held on Sunday in Istanbul to commemorate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye.

The event was held at Yenikapi station of the Marmaray railway that runs under the Bosphorus strait connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. It was completed by a Japanese-Turkish consortium.

Enver Iskurt, Türkiye’s deputy transport and infrastructure minister, expressed optimism about future cooperation between the two nations.

"In the coming period, I believe we will engage in more collaboration, particularly in sectors such as transportation, energy, tourism, and health, further solidifying our friendship," he said.

The participants included Japan's Deputy Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Amakawa Hirofumi, Japan's Ambassador to Ankara Katsumata Takahiko, and Yalcin Eyigun, general director of infrastructure investments at the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry in Türkiye.

Deputy Minister Iskurt emphasized the significance of the Marmaray project, which fulfilled a 150-year-old dream and serves as a testament to the engineering and technological collaboration between the two countries.

He said Marmaray carries approximately 650,000 passengers daily, contributing significantly to Istanbul's transportation system with nearly 1.2 billion passengers transported to date.

Highlighting Japan's role in Türkiye’s industrialization, Iskurt mentioned that over 200 Japanese companies operate in the country. "We are closely following international initiatives to develop uninterrupted transportation networks," he said.

Eyigun also praised the bilateral relationship, sharing a personal experience from a training program in Japan in 2000 that focused on underground construction technologies.

"Today, I am proud to say that our country has become a leader in this field, 24 years after my training," he said.

Eyigun described the Marmaray project as a premier example of bilateral cooperation and emphasized the historical significance of the initiative, which began under Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecid in 1860.

Following the speeches, attendees visited an exhibition organized to commemorate the anniversary at Yenikapi station.

Iskurt then rode a specially decorated Marmaray train to Uskudar district, announcing that the train would remain in service for passengers until the end of the year.

‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’

Hirofumi, the Japanese minister, described Marmaray as an essential project, symbolizing Japan’s high-quality infrastructure and mutual partnership to realize the decades-long Turkish dream.

He highlighted the significance of Japanese companies using ocean-floor tunnel technology to cross the Bosphorus, and noted that commemorating the centenary of diplomatic relations would further deepen cooperation between the two nations.

Japan’s envoy Takahiko said Marmaray reduced a ferry journey of over 15 minutes to just four minutes by train.

He expressed satisfaction with the rail link's contribution to easing Istanbul's traffic, and recalled the strong partnership formed through mutual assistance during difficult times. "A friend in need is a friend indeed," he said.

Japan International Cooperation Agency's (JICA) Kei Toyama also praised Marmaray as a symbol of friendship, and a major infrastructure achievement.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi