Imperial Family

Crown Prince Akishino Pays Courtesy Visit to Turkish President, Delivering Friendly Message from Emperor

Courtesy of Turkish presidential palace
Crown Prince Akishino, left, pays a courtesy visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday.

By Kaori Sakaba / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

21:00 JST, December 5, 2024

ANKARA — Crown Prince Akishino, who is on an official visit to Turkey, paid a courtesy visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace in Ankara on Wednesday.

Referring to a history of relations dating back to Prince Komatsu Akihito’s visit to the Ottoman Empire in 1887, Erdogan said that he hoped this visit would further strengthen friendly relations.

The crown prince mentioned past collaboration, including support for each other after earthquakes and for archeological research, and conveyed a message from the Emperor, who said he hoped the two countries would take the opportunity presented by the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations to advance stronger ties.