ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left for Italy on Friday to attend the Ambrosetti Forum.
Erdogan held a news conference before his departure from Ankara's Esenboga Airport.
Erdogan said he would visit Italy to participate in a forum held by an Italian think-tank organization, stating that international daily developments would be discussed at the forum.
Erdogan said the would deliver speeches in the parts of the forum titled ''EU-Convention and Institutionalization'' and ''Country Profile: Turkey''.
''I think the forum will be beneficial both to strengthen close relations between Turkey and Italy in a different platform, and to convey the international public opinion our views and expectations pertaining to future of the EU. I also think that the forum will be beneficial as it provides us with the opportunity to express our targets and principles on EU membership,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan said he would have tete-a-tete meetings with prime ministers of Spain, France, and Austria.
Prime Minister Erdogan said State Minister Ali Babacan, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, some parliamentarians, administrators and bureaucrats would accompany him during the visit. He said Turkish businessmen would find the opportunity to meet with their interlocutors.
Erdogan said he would attend a dinner on Saturday that would be hosted by Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi. He said, ''our relations with Italy, which expended important support in our EU membership process so far, are rooted in history. Our relations are further intensified with our ally Italy, which is also the EU Term President. International and regional issues as well as Turkish-EU relations will mainly be discussed during my visit.''
Erdogan is expected to proceed to Rome on Saturday and attend a dinner that will be hosted in his honor.
Erdogan is expected to return to Turkey on September 7.
(AY-AÖ) 05.09.2003