Japan-Türkiye Relations

1. State Minister Yamada visited affected sites and looked into the dameges by the earthquake and support activities for the affected people on the ground, held meetings with high-level officials of the Turkish government and affected local governments, and provided encouragement for the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Teams operating on the ground. At each meeting, State Minister Yamada conveyed condolences and sympathy for the casualties and victims of the earthquake, as well as solidarity with the Turkish government and its people. Moreover, he explained the various assistance Japan has been providing in response to the earthquake, including the dispatch of the JDR Rescue Team, Medical Team and Expert team (on construction, seismic isolation and earthquake resistance technology), provision of emergency relief supplies, and worth about 8.5 million dollars in emergency humanitarian assistance through international organizations and Japanese NGOs. In addition, State Minister Yamada stated that Japan and Türkiye support each other in times of need and, as we mark the 12th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan, as a country that has experienced many earthquakes, will continue to provide seamless support to Türkiye for restoration and reconstruction from the earthquake, making use of the experience and knowledge gained from our past.

During his visit, State Minister Yamada held a short telephone meeting with H.E. Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye. Minister Çavuşoğlu expressed his gratitude to the Japanese government for its support so far, as well as State Minister Yamada’s visit this time. State Minister Yamada stated that the government and the people of Japan stand with the government and people of Türkiye, and that Japan would like to continue to stand by the victims and support them.

State Minister Yamada had a meeting with H.E. Ms. Fatma Varank, Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye. State Minister Yamada stated that as we mark the 12th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan, as a country that has experienced many earthquakes would like to cooperate with Türkiye in the field of disaster management. Deputy Minister Varank expressed her deep gratitude for the support by Government of Japan so far and expressed her expectations for Japan’s future support toward restoration and reconstruction, including in the field of disaster prevention such as earthquake-resistant construction.

State Minister Yamada held a meeting with H. E. Ms. Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep, and explained that the JDR Medical Team that Japanese Government dispatched to Gzaiantep is a WHO-certified Type 2 with surgical and in-patient facilities, which is the first of its kind as a JDR team that Japan has dispatched so far. He also pointed out that the Team has treated approximately a total of 1,900 victims and local residents. Mayor Şahin expressed her deep appreciation for the ongoing support of the Government of Japan to date, including the dispatch of the medical team. She also referred to past initiatives in cooperation with the Government of Japan, such as the yen loan project “Local Government Infrastructure Improvement” for the Syrian refugee crisis, and expressed her wish to further promote cooperative relations with Japan.

State Minister Yamada provided encouragement for the JDR Medical Team, which is providing medical assistance in the affected area, and the JDR Expert team on construction, seismic isolation and earthquake resistance technology, which is providing technical advice on restoration and reconstruction. State Minister Yamada was briefed by the both teams on their activities and exchanged opinions on the current situation surrounding the people affected as well as efforts to restore and reconstruct the affected areas.