Türkiye, Czech Republic discuss cooperation in defence, security

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has met with his Czech counterpart Jana Cernochova to discuss bilateral relations as well as regional defence and security cooperation.

Akar was welcomed by Cernochova in the Czech capital, Prague, on Tuesday, where the two discussed issues of top concern to the two countries.

Ahead of their meeting at the Czech defence ministry, Cernochova received Akar with a military honour.

Images posted on social media by the Turkish National Defence Ministry showed moments during the ceremony as well as the two officials greeting one another before sitting down with their delegations.

Akar's visit to Prague on Tuesday signals an important development between the two nations and follows a historic visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu last June.

Defence ties between Türkiye, Czech Republic

Türkiye established diplomatic ties with Czechoslovakia in 1924 and since then, the two countries have enjoyed friendly relations.

Despite a cessation of diplomatic relations from 1939 to 1945, during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, the two sides steadily improved bilateral ties.

Following Czechoslovakia’s democratic transition and separation into constituent states, Türkiye immediately recognised the Czech Republic, which was established on January 1, 1993.

According to the website of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Istanbul, the membership of both countries in NATO further "intensifies the military cooperation."

"Beginning of the negotiations on the accession of Turkey to the EU has further strengthened and deepened the cooperation and dialogue on various political and economic subjects."

The two countries hold regular political meetings on the highest level and on the levels of different ministries and parliamentary committees.

During Cavusoglu's visit in June, a first for a Turkish foreign minister in 13 years, he discussed with his Czech counterpart, Jan Lipavsky, bilateral cooperation as well as global challenges such as the crisis in Syria and the Ukraine war.

In an article he wrote for the Czech daily Lidove Noviny, Cavusoglu said Ankara wants to raise bilateral relations with the Czech Republic to a higher level in the coming years.