His Excellency Faleh Abdullah Al-Rquba,
Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Housing

Excellencies,

Fellow Ambassadors and Members of the
Diplomatic Corps,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Assalamu
Aleykum,

It is a
great honor and pleasure to welcome you to the National Day Reception of the
Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye.

"Kuveyt-Türk
Toplumunun Değerli Temsilcileri,

Türkiye'den
kilometrelerce uzakta, Cumhuriyetimizin 100. Yılını kutladığımız bu anlamlı günde,
bizleri yalnız bırakmayan siz değerli vatandaşlarımıza teşekkürlerimi arz
ediyorum. Şahsım ve Büyükelçiliğimiz adına Cumhuriyet Bayramınızı içtenlikle
kutluyorum. Hepinize sağlık, esenlik ve mutluluk diliyor, saygılarımı
sunuyorum."

Today, we
gather here to commemorate a momentous occasion, the 100th anniversary of the
Turkish Republic. Today is a day of pride and gratitude for the remarkable
journey that Türkiye has embarked upon over the past century.

I would
like to express my sincere gratitude to you all for being with us today to
share our pride.

Distinguished Guests,

This
evening is supposed to be the most jubilant time of the year for us as we revel
in the joy of the celebration of our National Day. However, we find ourselves
touched by the somberness of a humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza.
Although our hearts are filled with excitement, they also carry the weight of
sorrow.

In Gaza,
2.2 million people, half of whom have been forcibly displaced with nowhere to
hide or run, are trapped inside a tiny strip of land, facing daily bombardment
in an all-out collective punishment campaign. Make no mistake: any civilian
casualty is a tragedy, regardless of the victims’ religious or national
identity. However, it is impossible to justify the recent Israeli aggression by
hiding behind the concept of self-defense. Indiscriminate killing, bombing of
schools and hospitals, destruction of essential infrastructure, blockade,
cutting off basic services, and blocking vital aid - all these actions are
outright violations of international law.

As
President Erdoğan called out yesterday at Great Palestine Rally in İstanbul, unless
we put out this fire immediately, it will take us to a new spiral of violence
that threatens the stability of the entire region.

The onus
is upon the shoulders of the international community in addressing the root
causes of the conflict, including ending the occupation of Palestinian
territory and allowing the Palestinians to establish their fully independent
state.

In this
respect, as responsible regional actors, Türkiye and Kuwait have been
tirelessly engaging in diplomatic efforts to put an end to this suffering.

I commend
the humanitarian activism shown by the State of Kuwait to ease the suffering of
the Palestinian people.

Distinguished Guests

The
Turkish Republic was founded following an unprecedented struggle for
independence, achieved through the great sacrifices and efforts of this great
nation.

Although
officially proclaimed on the 29th of October, 1923, our Republic has its roots
in a history marked by an existential struggle of a nation that never wavered
in its pursuit of independence and unconditional sovereignty.

The
declaration of the Republic opened a new chapter in the direction of progress
for Türkiye, setting a model for many other nations worldwide with its core
values of peace, democracy, and solidarity.

One
hundred years on, with its growing economy, robust democracy, commitment to
fundamental human values, and principled and visionary foreign policy, Türkiye
will continue to be a source of inspiration for its region and the world.

We
remember with deep respect and gratitude our fallen heroes and veterans to whom
we owe a great debt. We commemorate with deep gratitude the leadership of
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of our Republic.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Looking back, it is impossible not to be proud of what we have
achieved as a nation in the first century of our republic. From a newly-born
country reeling from decades of non-stop wars, to a regional power with a
robust economy, a strong democracy, and a mighty military, the first century of
the Turkish Republic has proved to be a success.

Encouraged by, but not content with
this success, we have conceptualized our aspirations for the next 100 years as
the “Century of Türkiye,” as recently inaugurated by our President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan.

The "Century of Türkiye"
represents a comprehensive set of goals beyond mere description; it is an
ambitious vision that promises innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable
development to shape a future with a positive global impact.

In the past 20 years, we have
completed to a great extent the infrastructure needed for our Century of
Türkiye move. We have made up for the century-old shortcomings in every area,
from education to healthcare, transportation to energy, industry to
agriculture, and sports to housing.

In this new era, Turkish Foreign
Policy aims to protect Türkiye's interests in a volatile regional and global
environment, while also shaping conditions for sustainable peace and
development in our neighborhood and beyond. In the pursuit of this primary
goal, Türkiye will contribute to peace, prosperity, and stability around the
world.

Distinguished Guests,

Although
we have a much older historical friendship, the diplomatic relations between
Türkiye and Kuwait will reach their 60th anniversary in 2024. So, next year we
will be celebrating 60 years of friendship with joyful activities inshallah.

We
proudly describe the level of our relations with Kuwait as “outstanding”. Our
relations are based upon some robust foundations.

First
foundation is the strong bonds of friendship between our nations marked by
mutual trust, sympathy, and cultural similarity. Our nations have a tradition
of mutual understanding and affection.

Secondly,
under the guidance of His Excellency President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and His
Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jabeer Al-Sabah, our relations have
reached an “exemplary” level and continue to grow stronger. The friendship
between our leaders has had a huge impact on our bilateral relations, paving
the way for fostering our cooperation in various fields.

Thirdly,
bilateral trade between Türkiye is growing every year. In 2022, our trade
volume amounted to 955 million USD, which is an all-time record.

While the
numbers are on the rise, they do not reflect our real potential.

We have a
common vision to diversify trade relations to include new sectors such as
defense, technology, and healthcare.

And speaking
of defence, as you may have heard, this year, the Kuwaiti government signed a
contract to purchase Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drones, which are arguably
the most popular drones in the world.

Apart
from these interactions in the areas of tourism, education, and health also
boost friendship between our countries. Türkiye remains the top destination for
Kuwaitis and we are working on new projects to boost people-to-people
interaction between our countries.

Ladies
and Gentlemen,

There is still significant
cooperation potential ahead of us. Therefore, as a Turkish Ambassador, I will
be working diligently to deepen our relations with Kuwait in every field as I
believe this collaboration will benefit not just our countries but the entire
region.

Before concluding my remarks, I
would like to extend my gratitude to Kolin, Makyol, Limak and Armada Group and
MUSIAD Kuwait for their generous support in sponsoring our event.

Thank you very much.