Japan-Türkiye Relations

General:

Japan and the Republic of Türkiye have maintained good relations for over a century. There has been wide-ranging interaction between the two countries, including visits by eminent persons, as well as economic and cultural exchange. These exchanges have been increasing since a visit to Türkiye by Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe in 1983. Türkiye's former premier Turgut Ozal (prime minister 1983-89, president 1989-93, died April 1993), who was familiar with Japanese affairs, also played an important role in the growth of the relationship.

There have been various exchanges of visits by eminent persons, such as the visits of Crown Prince Naruhito in March 2009 and Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada in January 2010. On the occasion of visit to Türkiye by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in May 2013, "Joint Declaration of the Establishment of Strategic Partnership Between Japan and the Republic of Türkiye" was signed and on the occasion of second visit in October 2013, "Joint Declaration by the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye on cooperation in the field of Nuclear Energy and Science and Technology" was signed between Prime Minister Abe and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Japan for the first time as the President of the Republic of Türkiye in October 2015 and Prime Minister Abe expressed to further expand the “Strategic Partnership” between the two countries in all fields, including politics, the economy and culture on the occasion of their summit meeting. On the occasion of the third visit to Türkiye by Prime Minister Abe in November 2015, the premiere screening of the Japanese-Turkish film production “Kainan 1890”with the presence of both leaders as well as the fifth summit meeting between Prime Minister Abe and President Erdogan were held in Istanbul.

The friendly relations, which started with the visit of Ottoman Empire's Ertugrul Frigate to Japan and the disaster following the visit, has reached its 120th anniversary in 2010. Not only the Ertugrul Frigate Disaster but also several historical incidents such as the rescue of Japanese people by a Turkish Airlines plane during Iran-Iraq War that symbolize the friendship between two countries are frequently mentioned. Commemorating 120th anniversary of the friendship between Japan and Türkiye, "Japan Year 2010 in Türkiye" was held and 186 various events were held in all over Türkiye through the whole year.Moreover, in the wake of Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011 and the earthquakes in Türkiye's eastern part in October and November 2011 respectively, both countries provided each other with support, which strengthened the relationship between the two nationals.

In February 2023, major earthquakes hit south-eastern Türkiye.　Upon the request of the Government of the Türkiye, the Government of Japan decided to dispatch the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Rescue Team to Türkiye

The team consisted of 74 experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Police Service, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the Japan Coast Guard, JICA, and building structure assessment experts and medical personnel. They left for the affected area on just of the night of the earthquake　on February 2023.

In turn, a total of 181 medical personnel, engineers and logistics support personnel were dispatched to the affected areas.

In cooperation with relevant countries and international organisations, the Government of Japan decided and implemented emergency grant aid to provide the humanitarian assistance needed by the victims and support for the earliest possible restoration of the affected areas.

Like Türkiye, Japan also has experienced a great deal of damage from earthquakes, and Japan and Türkiye have supported each other during past earthquakes. In the future, both countries would like to further exchange our feedbacks of earthquakes, improve our infrastructure facilities and building technology, and further develop our cooperation in order to become countries which are more resistant to earthquakes.

(Reference) Breakdown of the emergency humanitarian assistance

• 1. Türkiye: USD 8.5 million
  • (1) Assistance through international organizations: USD 6 million

• International Organization for Migration (IOM): USD 2.5 million

Shelter, Non-Food Items

• United Nations World Food Programme (WFP): USD 2 million

Food

• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): USD 1.5 million

Shelter, Non-Food Items

•  
  • (2) Japanese NGOs (via Japan Platform (JPF): USD 2.5 million
  • Food, Non-Food Items, Shelter, Protection, Medical Care and Medicine, Water and Sanitation

In 2024, Japan and Türkiye celebrated the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Japan were established on 6 August 1924, the year after the foundation of the Republic of Türkiye, when Japan ratified the Treaty of Lausanne, which entered into force. Türkiye was the first country in the Middle East to open a Japanese embassy (1925), which shows how important the Japanese Government regarded Türkiye from that time onwards.

In recent years, relations between Japan and Türkiye have developed increasingly in a wide range of fields, including politics, economy, disaster prevention and culture. The Second Bosphorus Bridge, built with Japanese yen loans, was the first bridge in Türkiye to be constructed with a vibration isolation system, and the Marmaray Metro Tunnel, which is said to have realized Istanbul's 150-year-old dream, was built with Japanese economic cooperation. In addition, Japan and Türkiye have supported each other in times of natural disasters such as the Marmara Earthquake in 1999, the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, and most recently the Southeast Türkiye Earthquake in February last year 2023, as the saying goes, "A friend in times of crisis is a true friend".
We Japan would like to make this a year of hope for the further development of friendly relations between Japan and Türkiye, and a bridge to the next 100 years.

Diplomatic Relations:

Bilateral Treaties and Agreements:

Number of Residents:

• 1,765 Japanese residents in Türkiye (as of October 2021 )
• 5,963 Turkish residents in Japan (as of December 2022 )

Trade with Japan (in US Dollars):

• Principal imports from Japan: $ 4641 million (2022 )
  (Construction equipment, Automobile ・ Automobile parts, Steel Plate)
• Principal exports to Japan: $664 million (2022 )
  (Cigarette, Tuna, Spaghetti)

Economic Assistance from Japan:

Japan regards Türkiye as one of its most important aid recipients in the Middle East and actively provides assistance. This stance reflects the following factors: First, Türkiye is an important nation, and is contributing to regional stability with its moderate and realistic foreign policy and by working harmoniously with the West while maintaining friendly and cooperative relations with neighboring Eastern European countries and Newly Independent States. Second, Türkiye's need for aid is strong due to its large population. Third, Türkiye is geopolitically important because of its location at the crossroads of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Japan's Aid to Türkiye:

• List of Exchange of Notes
• Loans: 697 billion yen (Cumulative total as of 2020 )
• Grant aid: 5.3 billion yen (Cumulative total as of 2020 )
• Technical cooperation: 46.6 billion yen (Cumulative total as of 2020 )

Educational and Cultural Exchange:

• (a) Cultural Exchange
  Japan and Türkiye have been enjoying long lasting friendly relations for more than 100 years. According to the public survey in Türkiye conducted by the Japanese Foreign Ministry in 2012, 83.2% of respondents answered that the relations between Japan and Türkiye are "friendly" or "almost friendly".
• (b) In May, 1998, the Turkish-Japanese foundation culture center was opened in Ankara by Suleyman Demirel, President of the Republic of Türkiye and Prince and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa, and a variety of cultural events have been held in the center. The center functions as a base for not only cultural exchange between two countries but also other various field of exchange.
• (c) In 2010, on the occasion of the 120th year of the Ertugrul Frigate Disaster, 186 cultural events took place under the framework of "the Japan Year 2010 in Türkiye". The Japanese-Turkish film production “Kainan 1890” was produced and showed in both countries in 2015 on the memorial of 125th year of the Disaster.
• (d) Japanese Language Education
  Japanese language education in Türkiye began in 1976 with the establishment of the first Japanese language course in the country by the Istanbul branch of the Türkiye-Japan Women's Cultural Association. University-level Japanese language education began in earnest in 1986 with the establishment of a Japanese language and literature program in the faculty of letters of Ankara University. Japanese language education has grown over the years, and courses have been established in major universities in Türkiye.