Europe Day, marking the foundation of the EU on May 9, was celebrated at a reception held at CerModern with the slogans “Our Common Values, Our Common Past” and “The Peace and Prosperity We Built Together.”
The reception was hosted by the Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, and attended by Deputy Foreign Minister and EU President Ambassador Mehmet Kemal Bozay, Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mansur Yavaş, along with numerous foreign mission representatives. Speaking at the opening of the evening, Ambassador Landrut noted that he was nearing the end of his four-year term and celebrating Europe Day in Ankara for the last time. He said, “I know how privileged I am to have traveled across Turkey from East to West, North to South over the past four years, discovering countless wonders. From its exquisite gastronomy, the industrial dynamism across the country, the cradle of human civilization in Mesopotamia, the mesmerizing Mediterranean coastline, to the countless cups of tea and Turkish coffee offered with little sugar,” he expressed.
CLOSE COOPERATION
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş, reflecting on Ambassador Landrut’s work during his tenure in Ankara, said, “He has contributed to many projects aimed at developing relations between EU institutions and local governments in Turkey. Specifically, we worked closely with him on the SMART Ankara Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan led by our Municipality, realizing numerous projects together.” Deputy Minister Bozay added, “Turkey is a strategic candidate country. It has geographical, cultural, historical, commercial, and political ties with Europe. Turkey is also a member of all European organizations. We expect concrete steps from the EU, and in the upcoming period, we will closely monitor the pace, level, and scope of the EU’s actions.”
