Turkey celebrated the 89th anniversary of its founding as a modern republic in a reception at Lotte Hotel in Seoul, Monday.

A score of VIPs from the government and the foreign diplomatic community joined with Turkish expatriates and friends of Turkey to celebrate the proclamation of Turkey as a secular and democratic country, as well as the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Turkey.

The Republic of Turkey was officially proclaimed on Oct. 29, 1923.

Bahk Jae-wan, minister of strategy and finance, Bark Taeho, minister of trade, and Park Sung Choon, minister of patriots and veterans’ affairs were joined by Rep. Kim Sung-chan of the Saenuri Party in celebrating the long standing “blood brother” relationship with Turkey.

Turkey sent thousands of soldiers to support South Korea during the Korean War which killed more than 700 of them, the fourth largest number of casualties on the South’s side after Koreans, Americans and British.

The Korean-Turkish blood brother relationship was upgraded to the level of strategic partnership, however, with President Lee Myung-bak’s state visit to Istanbul this year, said Turkish Ambassador to Korea Naci Saribas in welcome remarks during the reception. The two countries also signed a free trade agreement this year.

“Korean people have a very special place in the hearts and minds of the Turkish people,” he said.

Saribas said he looks to increasing bilateral trade to $10 billion annually by 2015, an increase of abut 40 percent. He also declared a “Turkish Wave” which includes numerous cultural events and projects, including the museum exhibition, “Emperors of Istanbul,” which is now in Busan, as well as dance performances and concerts.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)