By Dilara Hamit
ANKARA (AA) - Ireland's embassy in Turkiye marked St. Patrick's Day with a traditional Irish concert Thursday at the CSO Ada Ankara, a concert hall in the Turkish capital.
Ambassador Sonya McGuinness in her speech said this was the first St. Patrick's Day reception they were able to hold since 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I enjoy seeing you all. It’s tempered, however, by the events in Ukraine. Millions of people are victims of a war they did not seek, and this evening, I want to express our solidarity and that of the EU with the people of Ukraine. The war has shocked and upset the Irish people just as it has the Turkish people," McGuinness said.
She said Ireland along with the EU have acted quickly to deliver assistance and that Irish people have opened their homes and hearts to these people.
"In Ireland, we pride ourselves for our value-based foreign policy. Values confirm everything that we do, whether that is the protection of gender and LGBTQ and other human rights or our support for the UN in the rules-based international order. We firmly believe that multilateralism is the best and only way to find global solutions to common problems. We believe instinctively in the importance of solidarity. These are the values we share with the people of Turkiye," she said.
McGuinness also highlighted the failures of Irish history, saying they suffered rebellions over centuries, but she noted that the country was ultimately successful and allowed to take its place as a modern European nation.
"This year, we celebrate 50 years of membership in the EU. The EU is an organization of solidarity, of partnership at its heart, and we look forward to Turkiye taking its place in that community," she added.
After McGuinness' speech, a contemporary traditional Irish music band, "Strung," played for the guests at the concert hall. The band was brought to Turkiye by its national flag carrier Turkish Airlines from Ireland.
After the concert, envoys of other countries and guests were served traditional alcoholic beverages.