Ireland–Turkey relations

Irish–Turkish relations

Ireland
Turkey

Diplomatic relations between the two republics of Ireland and Turkey were established in 1972. Ireland's embassy in Ankara was opened in 1998. Turkey has had an embassy in Dublin since 1973. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Union for the Mediterranean and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Also Ireland is a member of the European Union while Turkey is a candidate.

History

According to legend,[1][2][3] in 1845, Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid declared his intention to send £10,000 to victims of the Irish potato famine, but either British diplomats or his own ministers requested that the Sultan send only £1,000, so as not to donate more than Queen Victoria, who had sent £2,000.[4] The Sultan sent £1,000 along with three[3] or five[5] ships full of food. The British administration allegedly attempted to block the ships, but by local tradition the food arrived secretly at Drogheda harbour and was left there by Ottoman sailors.[3][5] Shipping records relating to the port appear not to have survived. Newspaper reports suggest that ships from Thessaloniki in the Ottoman Empire sailed up the River Boyne in May 1847,[6] although it has also been claimed that the river was dry at the time. A letter written by Irish notables in the Ottoman archives explicitly thanks the Sultan for his help.[7] In 1995, the Drogheda town hall erected a placard in commemoration. In 2012, plans were announced to produce a film on the subject,[3] starring Colin Farrell and several Turkish stars.[8]

President of Ireland Mary McAleese paid a state visit to Turkey in March 2010.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kinealy, Christine (1997). "Potatoes, providence and philanthropy". In O'Sullivan, Patrick. The Meaning of the Famine. London: Leicester University Press. p. 151. ISBN 0-7185-1426-2. According to a popular tradition, which dates back to 1853...
  2. ↑ Ó Gráda, Cormac (1999). Black '47 and Beyond. Princeton University Press. pp. 197–198. ISBN 0-691-01550-3. ...populist myths...
  3. 1 2 3 4 Akay, Latifa (29 January 2012), "Ottoman aid to the Irish to hit the big screen", Zaman, Legend has it ...
  4. ↑ Christine Kinealy (2013), Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland: The Kindness of Strangers, pp. 115, 118
  5. 1 2 Aymaz, Abdullah (October–December 2007), "Gratitude to the Ottomans", The Fountain Magazine (60)
  6. ↑ Kelly, Antoinette. "New evidence shows Turkey delivered food to Ireland during the famine". IrishCentral. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  7. ↑ "Abdülmecid'in İrlanda halkına yaptığı yardım 'efsane' değilmiş" (in Turkish). Zaman. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  8. ↑ http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/film-to-depict-ottoman-aid-to-ireland-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=25355&NewsCatID=381

External links


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