Q) You became an Ambassador on February 3rd. Had you been to Japan before?
A) Yes. I visited Japan in 1978 on a U.N. mission. It was my first visit. When my husband was Ambassador to Malaysia , his sister's husband was Ambassador to Japan. I took a two week vacation to visit them.
Q) What is your impression on Japan, including your last visit?
A) Last time when I visited Kyoto, I was very impressed with the old temples and the Japanese culture. I love Sushi and I eat it often not only in Japan but in Europe and Turkey also. I also love big cities. Tokyo is a very exciting city for me. I know that I will love to live in Japan.
Q) Is it true female Ambassadors are rare in Japan?
A) I contacted the lady Ambassador of Luxembourg soon after I came to Tokyo. I heard that there are 3 4 other lady Ambassadors currently in Japan and we have had very good times and cooperation among us. We used to have a club and we were very active in entertaining leading ladies in government, parliament, and business circles.
Q) Did you come to Japan with your family this time?
A) Yes, with my husband and my mother. I am the only child and I lost my father. Therefore, I could not leave my mother alone in Turkey. She is going to stay in Japan for a while. My husband, who used to be an Ambassador, is retired now and accompanies me on my assignments. I feel reassured because he is backing me up as a senior colleague.
Q) We heard that in Turkey there is a great sympathy for Japan . What do they think about Japan.
A) Our image of Japan is that it is a country that has achieved the "Japanese miracle" in economy and technology in such a short span of time after the World War II. We respect the Japanese people for their discipline and hard work. All of us should follow Japanese examples when we face critical periods.
There is no dispute between Turkey and Japan. We historically have had entertaining and friendly relations. In a geographical sense, Japan and Turkey are far apart but I think we do share the same values, such as similar understanding, hospitality, respect for one another and especially for the elderly, and attachment to the family. Both Turkey and Japan attach great importance to traditions and yet they are both western.
Moreover, Turkish people never forget the warm and speedy assistance from Japan when a very severe earthquake hit our country in 1999. Especially damaged areas were restored with ready-made Japanese houses, and now the place has became like a Japanese village.
Q) Year 2003 is the Year of Turkey in Japan.
A) I hope this will be a good opportunity to introduce Turkey to the Japanese people in all aspects. We are planning to have a great variety of events throughout this year.
The Turkish national team defeated the Japanese team at the World Cup held last year, but the Japanese people took the Turkish team's success with a sense of good sportsmanship. The Japanese people, no doubt, wished for the victory of their own national team but they were so well mannered and disciplined that they took it in a gentlemanly way. This was highly appreciated by the Turkish people and my impression is that among other things, it also contributed to further enhancement of the understanding and good relations existing between Turkey and Japan.
