TURKISH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IN JAPAN

KUSHIMOTO (A.A) - 19.10.2010 - Turkish Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin attended on Tuesday a ceremony which was held in Japan for the martyrs of Turkish Ertugrul Frigate.
Sahin, who delivered a speech at the ceremony, said that 587 Turkish sailors aboard the frigate died in the sea accident which happened 120 years ago off Kushimoto, adding that Japans helped 69 survivors of the accident. 
Sahin noted that the accident helped the two countries establish strong friendly ties.   
Ertugrul, launched in 1863, was a sailing frigate of the Ottoman Navy. While returning from a goodwill voyage from Japan in 1890, she encountered a typhoon off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture, subsequently drifted into a reef and sank. The maritime accident resulted in the loss of 587 sailors, including Admiral Ali Osman Pasha. Only 69 sailors and officers survived and returned home later aboard two Japanese corvettes. The event is still commemorated as a foundation stone of Japanese-Turkish friendship.
Sahin is visiting Japan as the guest of Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Takahiro Yokomichi.  
He is set to meet with Yokomichi and President of House of Councillors Takeo Nishioka during his five-day visit to Japan.
Sahin will be received by Emperor Akihito of Japan, and also hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
He is expected to return to Turkey on October 23.