Swedish Embassy celebrates national day

Members of the Turkish Parliament, including Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız, as well as various members of the diplomatic community were among the attendees of the reception hosted by the country's ambassador to Turkey, Hakan Akesson, and his wife, Filippa Akesson.

Speaking at the reception, Yıldız noted that diplomatic relations between the Ottoman Empire and Sweden were established in 1523 and thanked Sweden for its support for Turkey's desire to be a member of the European Union. Yıldız also expressed his happiness about the improvement in Turkish-Swedish economic relations.

Ambassador Akesson delivered a speech at the reception and reiterated Sweden's determination in supporting Turkey's EU membership bid. Stating that the volume of trade between Turkey and Sweden has increased by 20 percent in recent years, Akesson added that in 2011, 6 percent of Sweden's population spent their summer vacation in Turkey.