A smooth trip: Erdogan in South Korea

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in South Korea for an official visit from May 2-3. One word to describe the trip: smooth.

No conflicts, no tension. For some time now, Turkey has been dealing with a lot of disputes with allies, mainly the United States and several EU countries as well.

When Erdogan was in Greece a few months ago, each statement he made dropped a bomb of controversy. In comparison, the South Korea visit was definitely an easy one for the Turkish President – or rather, his counterpart.

Prior to his trip, Erdogan hailed the recent denuclearization efforts of the two Koreas in a tweet, stating he hoped the process would continue successfully. On May 2, Erdogan was welcomed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in with an official ceremony – red carpets were rolled and military ceremonies held as Erdogan paid tribute to soldiers killed during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and South Korean committee stand in silence after Erdogan burnt incense during his visit to the Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul, South Korea, May 2, 2018. /VCG Photo

Then it was time for business.

According to statistics from Seoul, trade between the two countries rose over 17 percent between 2012 and 2017 reaching 6.12 billion US dollars. Both leaders are eager to increase these figures.

Aside from several Turkish ministers, a 150-member Turkish business delegation was also accompanying Erdogan during the visit. The group attended an event hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industries. Officials from Turkey and South Korea discussed ways to increase economic cooperation and to improve cooperation in the defense industry. It was announced that four agreements had been signed.

President Erdogan also met with South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun during the visit and invited him to visit Turkey as well.

All in all, it was a successful trip for both countries.