Dear brothers and sisters;

Upon completion of my term of duty in Al Quds, I shall be leaving Palestine in the first half of November 2009. After having served as ambassador in the United Arab Emirates and then in Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and as the Special Envoy for the Middle East, I had the honor of being appointed as the first ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye in al Quds, Palestine.

Four years and nine months that my wife Sevgi and I had been with you in the Holy Land were charged with challenging tasks, laden with hope-consuming frustrations but full of unforgettable memories that we shall cherish through the rest of our lives. Palestine and our Palestinian friends, colleagues, acquaintances, brothers and sisters will have a special place in our hearts and minds. My tenure in Palestine shall be the last and important milestone in my long diplomatic career as I shall retire right after my return to Türkiye.

As I have frequently emphasized in several occasions, Al Quds is unique. That uniqueness which is the melting point and cross roads of alliance of civilizations and religions should be preserved for the future generations.

Invariably, serving in Palestine was a unique experience by itself. The strong traditional historical and cultural ties existing between the Turkish and Palestinian people had been our reference point and we did our best to take them to higher grounds.

Our thanks and appreciation go to all who made our lives here easier and our stay meaningful starting with The President, The Prime Minister, The Minister of Foreign Affairs, all other ministers and continuing in an endlesslist.

We had the privilege, honor and pleasure of serving in Palestine for the cause of lasting peace and prosperity for the Palestinian people. This vocation will not end here but will continue in our future endeavors for the establishment of an independent state of Palestine.

Ma alsalama.

Dr. Ercan Özer,
Ambassador