Portuguese Foreign Minister arrives in Turkey for officials visit

Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Sacadura Cabral Portas touched down in Ankara on Monday to have a series of diplomatic talks with senior Turkish officials. On Tuesday Portas will have a private talk with his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Monday. The two ministers are expected to discuss bilateral relations, Turkey's EU membership process and the Cyprus issue as well as other current regional and international issues. In the statement the Foreign Ministry anticipated that Portas' visit would be an important contribution for Portuguese and Turkish bilateral ties to grow further in every field.Portas will also be received by Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Turkish EU Minister and chief negotiator Egemen Bagis, Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan and Chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Rıfat Hisarciklioglu. On Wednesday, Portas will meet with Turkish Development Minister Cevdet Yilmaz and hold talks with business circles in Istanbul.