President Halimah, PM Lee congratulate Turkish President Erdogan on re-election win

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have written to Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him on his reappointment as president, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Tuesday (May 30).

Mr Erdogan won 52.1 per cent of the votes during Türkiye’s presidential elections on Sunday, marking an extension of his 20-year rule.

“I would like to extend my warmest congratulations on your re-election as President of the Republic of Türkiye,” said Madam Halimah in a congratulatory letter on Monday. 

“The people of Türkiye have given you a mandate that reflects their confidence in your leadership.”

Madam Halimah noted that both countries enjoy “warm and broad-based relations”, with strong links in areas such as trade and investment, science and technology, and transport.

She added that Türkiye and Singapore have good cultural relations due to historical links between Southeast Asia and the Ottoman empire.

In his congratulatory letter, Mr Lee also highlighted the “longstanding and warm relationship” between Singapore and Türkiye, which is underpinned by the Strategic Partnership and the Türkiye–Singapore Free Trade Agreement (TRSFTA).

“Singapore is also pleased to continue supporting Türkiye in its efforts to further deepen engagement in our region under the Asia Anew Initiative,” said Mr Lee.

Both leaders also wished Mr Erdogan success and looked forward to deepening ties between the countries.