Japanese Crown Prince to visit Turkey in December

It has been reported that Japanese Crown Prince Fumihito and Princess Kiko will visit Turkey in December to mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Japan. According to a statement from the Imperial Household Agency of Japan, the Crown Prince and Princess are scheduled to arrive in Turkey on December 3-8, and are expected to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on December 4.

Following their meeting with President Erdoğan, the couple will travel to Istanbul for a commemorative ceremony, where they are set to attend an exhibition on the Ertuğrul Frigate, which sank in Japan in 1890. The sinking of the Ottoman Navy frigate is considered the beginning of Turkish-Japanese friendship.

THE STORY OF THE ERTUĞRUL FRIGATE

The Ertuğrul Frigate, which departed from Istanbul in July 1889 with a crew of 609, was carrying the first organized diplomatic delegation from the Islamic world to Japan. After an 11-month voyage, the frigate reached Yokohama and presented a letter and medal sent by Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II to Emperor Meiji of Japan.

The Ottoman delegation departed from Yokohama on September 15, 1890, after concluding their visit, but on the evening of September 16, the frigate struck rocks off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture and sank. While 69 sailors survived the accident, 540 people lost their lives. The tragic accident is considered the beginning of diplomacy between the two countries.

News Source: 12punto