ANKARA

Sri Lanka’s newly appointed ambassador to Türkiye, Niluka Kadurugamuwa, highlighted the strength of bilateral relations and called for sustained cooperation as the island nation recovers from recent floods and landslides that left hundreds dead and tens of thousands displaced.

“Türkiye and Sri Lanka have always been good friends. We have very strong bilateral relations,” Kadurugamuwa told Anadolu in an interview, evaluating bilateral relations as well as the recent disaster that hit his country.

Kadurugamuwa said approximately 1.7 million people were affected by cyclone Ditwah that hit in November, with 643 deaths confirmed and 70,000 to 75,000 people living in around 700 safe shelters across the country.

He said search and rescue operations have ended, with debris removal and reconstruction now underway.

The envoy shared that the government allocated additional funding for recovery efforts and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake personally announced various facilities and grants for rebuilding destroyed homes.

He described the destruction as widespread and the largest natural catastrophe to hit Sri Lanka since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Cooperation and historic ties

Emphasizing friendly relations with Türkiye, Kadurugamuwa said diplomatic ties were established in 1948.

“We established our diplomatic relations in 1948, 77 years ago,” he said. “Even before that, during the Ottoman period, we had relations. Sri Lanka was part of the Maritime Silk Route, while Türkiye was part of the Silk Road, so we have had historical connections.”

He recalled that the Ottoman Empire appointed honorary consuls in Sri Lanka as far back as 1874 and Türkiye was among the first countries to recognize Sri Lanka’s independence. Sri Lanka’s embassy in Ankara was established in 2012, followed by Türkiye’s mission in Colombo in 2013.

Kadurugamuwa said cooperation spans politics, economy, culture, and education. “We cooperate in every sphere, particularly in politics, economy, culture, and education,” he said, noting that Sri Lankan students study in Türkiye through scholarships provided by the Turkish government.

He said the third meeting of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission was held last July, where economic cooperation was discussed in detail.

Türkiye’s support during disasters

Kadurugamuwa also highlighted Türkiye’s assistance after the 2004 tsunami.

“After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Türkiye rebuilt an entire village in Sri Lanka,” he said.

He noted that the village, consisting of around 430 houses, was inaugurated in 2005 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was prime minister at the time.

Regarding the recent disaster, Kadurugamuwa said Sri Lanka appealed to international partners, including Türkiye. Under the coordination of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) sent a two-member mission for assessments.

“As immediate relief, humanitarian aid packages for 3,000 people were distributed by the TIKA team,” he said, adding that longer-term assistance is being evaluated.

Kadurugamuwa said he met the head of TIKA and requested long-term project support. “He asked us to prepare a list of projects so Türkiye can assess which areas it can support,” he said.

He encouraged Turkish citizens to visit Sri Lanka and invited Turkish businesspeople to invest, saying tourism infrastructure remains functional and conditions are favorable.