South Korean President holds contacts in Turkey

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak arrived in Turkey on Saturday as part of a week-long tour that also includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. As part of his contacts, Lee firstly met with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbas, saying, "I visited Istanbul at a time when I was Seoul mayor. After many years, I visited and toured Istanbul again. I saw that Istanbul has changed to a great extent and strengthened its position in the world," Afterwards, Lee met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over a luncheon, in which Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz, Transportation, Maritime and Communication Minister Binali Yildirim and Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan were also present. The meeting was closed to the press. Lee will be also received by President Abdullah Gul today.