Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Czech President Vaclav Klaus held a joint press conference in Ankara on Tuesday following bilateral talks, with both leaders expressing mutual support for deeper cooperation.
Sezer welcomed Czech backing for Türkiye's EU accession bid and described the Czech Republic as a reliable European partner and a key NATO ally. He pointed to growing trade between the two countries, noting that bilateral commerce reached 1 billion USD in 2005, and said both sides intended to encourage contacts between their business communities.
Klaus said his country believes the EU should remain open to new members, and he reaffirmed Czech support for Türkiye's accession process. He described the visit as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral economic, cultural, and political ties.
Klaus traveled to Ankara accompanied by 32 Czech business executives, who were scheduled to meet with Turkish counterparts to explore joint ventures. Both presidents also discussed regional matters during their meeting.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2006, in its own words.