Turkish Representative to Taiwan Muzaffer Eroktem said yesterday that Taiwan’s plan to open a representative office in Istanbul would proceed without delay, but he didn’t give a timeframe.
“The matter is pending,” the outgoing envoy told reporters in English on the sidelines of a ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to award him the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy in recognition of his contributions to strengthening bilateral ties.
However, some processes still needed to be completed, he said, refusing to say if opposition from Beijing was behind delays in the plan. Taiwan made the proposal about a year ago.
Erkotem — who has served in the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 45 years and whose first and last overseas postings were in Taiwan in 1970-1971 and from 2008 until now — said he would become a visiting academic.
“I am not going to ‘retire.’ After I return to Turkey, I will continue to follow subjects [that I did] not complete during my tenure in Taipei … on aspects of culture and tourism in particular,” he said.
Praising Eroktem as a “highly skilled diplomat” and “an old friend of ours,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) said bilateral relations had “become noticeably stronger” since Eroktem returned to Taipei two years ago.
Turkey is a key trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching US$960 million at the end of July, an increase of 62 percent compared with the same period last year, Yang said.
“We expect to set a new record this year,” he said.
Taiwan and Turkey also enjoy vibrant cultural exchanges, with both nations frequently inviting outstanding performers, groups and people to visit, Yang said.
The significant increase in the number of Taiwanese visiting Turkey was another indication that Eroktem’s efforts to promote his country has paid off, Yang said.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
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INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
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