91 years marked at embassy

İhsan Tuncalı, Dr Teoman Sırrı, Ambassador Abdurrahman Bilgiç and his wife Esra Bilgiç, Dr. Esin Sırrı and Turkish Cypriot representative Oya Tuncalı.

The Turkish Republic’s 91st anniversary was marked in London last week with a celebration at the residence of Turkish ambassador Abdurrahman Bilgiç.

The reception was attended by a large number of dignitaries, including Turkey’s deputy economy minister Adnan Yıldırım; David Cameron’s Turkey trade representative Lord Janvrin; Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir John Nicholas Houghton; former defence secretary Liam Fox; Oya Tuncalı, the Turkish Cypriot representative in London; and Turkey’s Consul General Emirhan Yorulmazlar.

16 members of the Turkish navy who were secondment to the NATO base in the UK were also present at the reception.

A message from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was read out in English and Turkish before Mr Bilgiç spoke briefly to express his sorrow over the mining accident in Karaman. His words were echoed by Mr Yıldırım, who said they were praying for the miners.

jpg UK Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir John Nicholas Houghton; Land forces attaché Colonel Mehmet Çalkayış; New Zealand High Commissioner Sir Lockwood Smith and Navy Attaché Commander Nurettin Sevi