Erdogan due in Damascus for landmark visit to boost bilateral ties

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will fly to Damascus today to chair a meeting of a high-level strategic cooperation council with Syria, marking the next step in Turkey's active foreign policy in the Middle East. During his two-day visit, Erdogan will also attend a meeting of the Turkey-Syria Business Forum. Erdogan is expected to meet with Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Utri. As part of the visit, deals are slated to be signed on water, health, transportation, industry, foreign policy, and higher education. Speaking to Syrian reporters before leaving, Erdogan called his visit a milestone in relations between Turkey and Syria. Calling Syria a gateway for Turkey to the Arab world, Erdogan said Turkey is similarly Syria's gateway to Europe. Erdogan also spoke of plans to improve energy cooperation between the countries. Decrying the deplorable conditions in the Gaza Strip, Erdogan said Israel's offensive there early this year had shocked the Turkish people. Urging Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza, Erdogan said Turkey is ready to do all it can to help reconstruction efforts there. The business forum will be attended by dozens of exporters from Turkey's construction, auto parts, furniture, food and food equipments, textiles, mineral fuel, cement and packaging sectors. Businesspeople will also have chance to hold bilateral talks with Syrian companies during the forum. Turkey and Syria signed a free trade deal in December 2002 that took effect in 2007. Trade between the two countries recently shot up 50 percent to reach $1.8 billion last year. Turkish exports to Syria rose 40 percent in 2008, while imports were up 70 percent. Officials of the two countries hope to reach a trade volume of $5 billion in the next three years.