Erdogan: Turkey And Ukraine Are Sharing A Common Fate In Integration With Europe

ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey and Ukraine were sharing a common fate in integration with Europe.
Prime Minister Erdogan hosted a dinner in honor of Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.
Erdogan said, ''as a member of Euro-Atlantic community, Turkey will continue to extend every kind of support to friend Ukraine in its efforts to integrate with this community.''
Close relations between Turkey and Ukraine had developed rapidly in every field in the last 11 years, Erdogan noted.
Erdogan said that Ukraine was not only a good neighbor but also an efficient regional cooperation partner of Turkey after it had gained its independence.
''Black Sea, which links us in regard to thoughts and feelings although it separates us geographically, has started to be considered as a sea of cooperation thanks to concerted efforts of Ukraine and Turkey,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan stated that they were in a consensus to exert concerted efforts to maintain and improve security and stability in Black Sea by respecting territorial integrity and national sovereignty of countries.
''Turkey and Ukraine are sharing a common fate in integration with Europe. As a member of Euro-Atlantic community, Turkey will continue to exert every effort to friend Ukraine in its efforts to integrate with this community. Efforts are exerted to make following generations live in a free, secure, democratic, developed Europe which has no prejudices and walls of discrimination. Our sincere talks with Ukrainian prime minister have once more showed that there are close cooperation and partnership between Turkey and Europe,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan went on saying, ''our government is determined to take new steps to further improve our relations with Ukraine which are unproblematic in politics and very good in trade. I and Ukrainian prime minister continue our efforts to reach this aim. I believe that we can get concrete results soon.''
Structures of populations, economies, industries and geographical locations of Turkey and Ukraine were complementary of each other, Erdogan stated.
Erdogan said that two countries had common habits and problems which resulted from co-existence in same region for centuries.
Common values between two countries made nations capable of understanding each other despite differences in language and religion, Erdogan stressed.
Erdogan said that around 200 thousand Ukrainians were visiting Turkey every year and noted that close interest of Turkish business world in Ukraine and trade volume exceeding billions of U.S. dollars were an indicator of that capability.
The duty of administrators was to develop that capability, Erdogan stated.
Erdogan said, ''around 300 Turkish students have started to receive education in higher education institutions in Ukraine in the last two years. Number of university students who are receiving education in Turkish language departments in Ukraine has almost reached 400. Turkish Culture Centers have been opened in four universities in Ukraine to search for our common history and to inform the Ukrainians who want to learn more about Turkey. Around 200 Ukrainian students are having education in Turkish universities. Our common efforts are the guarantee that we will further improve our relations in the future. Intercultural dialogue is a requirement of whole world not only our common geography.''
Improvement of understanding and relations between two nations would contribute to development of projects which would serve common interests of two countries, Erdogan emphasized.
Erdogan said that he was sure that reciprocal investments would increase in coming days.
Two countries had the opportunity to cooperate in Iraq's reconstruction, Erdogan noted.
Erdogan said that two countries had established an example political dialogue.
Future ties between Turkey and Ukraine would be stronger than the past thanks to joint steps to be taken for friendship, prosperity and happiness of two countries, Erdogan added.
Yanukovych said that Turkey and Ukraine had close ties due to their geographical closeness.
Ukraine had always felt Turkey, which was its real friend, beside itself, Yanukovych noted.
Yanukovych added that they aimed to make Turkish-Ukrainian relations an example for other countries.

UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER SAYS HE TELLS ERDOGAN THAT THEY ARE READY FOR JOINT FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
ANKARA - Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said on Monday that he told Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that they were ready for joint fight against terrorism.
Speaking in Turkish-Ukrainian Business Council meeting, Yanukovych expressed condolences on behalf of Ukrainian people over the victims of terrorist attacks staged in Turkey before the Feast of Ramadan.
Yanukovych noted that two countries had rooted relations and said that trade volume between two countries increased more than 10 times in the last decade.
Two countries could exert joint efforts to earn more, Yanukovych stated.
Yanukovych drew attention to sincere and transparent relations and said that his government would lay necessary groundwork for such relations.
Noting that they wanted to make Turkish-Ukrainian relations an example for other countries, Yanukovych said that they agreed with Erdogan to create appropriate conditions for investments.
After the speeches, an agreement was signed on construction of bridge and roads worth of 350 million U.S. dollars between Kiev Municipality and Turkish Enerji Yapi Inc, an company functioning in energy sector.
(BRC) 01.12.2003