PM Erdogan departs for South America to boost ties

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday departed for South America trip, which will include a first prime-ministerial level visit to Brazil, as well as stops in Argentina and Chile. Erdogan and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will hold a bilateral meeting to review various issues of interest to their countries, both non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, and sign some related agreements. In Brazil, Erdogan will also attend the third forum of the Alliance of Civilizations, which is co-chaired by Turkey and Brazil, on Friday and Saturday.