Turkish president to focus on economy during Iran visit
Baku, February 14 (AZERTAC). Turkish President Abdullah Gül will travel to Iran this weekend for a three-day visit, expected to focus on economic cooperation, a government official said Thursday.
Gül would arrive on Sunday and meet his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in Tehran on Monday, the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Gül will be accompanied by several ministers, including Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, lawmakers, businessmen and academics, said the source, adding that the president was expected to also visit the cities of Tabriz and Isfahan.
Turkey`s ties with its eastern neighbor have markedly improved since the current government came to power in 2002, with Ankara pushing for a diplomatic resolution to the row over Tehran`s nuclear program.
In June, Turkey — then a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council — irked the United States when it voted against fresh sanctions the body approved against Iran, arguing that a nuclear fuel swap deal it had negotiated with Brazil the previous month should be given a chance.
Turkey has also sought closer commercial links with Iran, one of its main suppliers of natural gas.
"Our trade volume has reached $10 billion. Our target for 2015 is to increase this to $30 billion," Zafer Cağlayan, the foreign trade minister, said on Tuesday.
In September, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for a preferential trade agreement with Iran.
Turkey`s improving ties with the Islamic republic, coupled by a deep crisis in relations with one-time ally Israel, have sparked concern that NATO`s sole Muslim-majority member is sliding away from the West. Ankara strongly denies any policy shift.
Last month, it hosted talks between Iran and six world powers aimed at easing suspicions that Tehran is secretly developing nuclear weapons, but no progress was achieved.
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