Gul in Iran to improve trade ties

President Abdullah Gul will be in Iran until Wednesday to hold talks with officials, discussing bilateral relations, regional developments and ways to boost trade between the two neighbors. Gul said yesterday before leaving for Tehran that his visit would further improve ties with Iran and contribute to efforts to ensure peace, tranquility and stability in the region, in the wake of uprisings that toppled two nearby governments. This will be Gul's first visit to Iran since becoming president in 2007. "Political, economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Iran will be high on the agenda of our talks," said Gul. "We will also have the chance to review recent regional and global developments." Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and State Minister Cevdet Yilmaz are accompanying Gul, along with many businessmen and investors. Gul also told Iranian news agency IRNA in an interview that Turkey and Iran are "two major powerful countries" in the region and both are willing "to boost bilateral relations." Gul said cooperation between Iran and Turkey has seen "remarkable progress" over the past couple of years, IRNA reported. Gul said he will discuss major economic, political and cultural issues in meetings with Iranian officials.