Relations between Turkey and Lithuania
Turkey and Lithuania signed the “Friendship Agreement” on 17 September 1930. The occupation and annexation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union has never been recognized by Turkey. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, diplomatic relations between the two countries were re-established on 3 September 1991.
The political relations between Turkey and Lithuania are positively improving. Turkey’s support for Lithuania’s NATO membership and Lithuania’s support for Turkey’s EU membership negotiations have been instrumental in further strengthening our relations.
President H.E. Dalia Grybauskaite’s official visit to Turkey between 7-9 December 2014 has clearly indicated the common will and effort to give a new momentum to close cooperation between the two countries.
The visit of H.E. Linas Linkevičius, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, to Turkey on 22 August 2016 to display solidarity with Turkey after the failed coup attempt on 15 July 2016, was the first visit at the Foreign Minister level among NATO and EU member countries. Foreign Minister Linkevičius also paid a working visit to Ankara on 9 May 2018; and H.E. Mevlut Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, paid an official visit to Lithuania on 28 August 2018. The two Foreign Ministers met lastly on 8 December 2018 on the occasion of inauguration of Honoray Consulate of Lithuania in Alanya.
Turkey contributes to the NATO’s Energy Security Center Excellence in Vilnius with a personnel.
The overall volume of trade between the two countries was recorded as 687 million Dollars in 2018. (Turkish exports: 277 million Dollars; imports: 410 million Dollars)
In the period of 2002-2018, total amount of direct investments from Lithuania to Turkey has been 22 million Dollars. For the same period, foreign direct investment from Turkey to Lithuania has been 3 million Dollars.
Turkey is the most preferred touristic destination for Lithuanian people. Approximately 200 thousand Lithuanian tourists visited Turkey in 2018.
In Lithuania three universities, namely Vilnius University, Vilnius Pedagogy University as well as Vytautas Didzioji University offer Turkish language courses in their curriculum.
In Vingis Military Cemetery in Vilnius, there are graves of our martyrs wounded in the Galician Front during World War I and sent to Lithuania for treatment.
Approximately 350 Turkish citizens live in Lithuania.
Lithuania has Honorary Consulates in Antalya, Bursa, Eskişehir, İstanbul, İzmir, Mersin and Alanya.
