ANKARA

Türkiye's former ambassador to Japan recalled the "significant contributions" by Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated on Friday, in advancing Ankara-Tokyo relations.

"He was a person who believed in the importance of developing Turkish-Japanese relations and sincerely made efforts to contribute," Serdar Kilic told Anadolu Agency after the announcement of Abe's passing away.

Kilic, now appointed as Türkiye's special envoy for Turkish-Armenian normalization process, served as ambassador to Tokyo from 2012-2014.

He recalled that Abe attended opening of the exhibition on Ertugrul Frigate at the Turkish Embassy in Tokyo in 2013, and also the inauguration of Marmaray underwater railway in Istanbul the same year.

"I want to express my condolences to the Japanese people and Abe's family, especially Abe Akie," widow of Abe, he said.

The frigate sank 131 years ago in Kushimoto province of Japan, and is considered the turning point of Turkish-Japanese relations.

Abe was shot at twice at a political campaign event in the city of Nara Friday morning. He died in a hospital. The shocking assassination has stunned the world, drawing condemnation.