TOKYO - Foreign minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul arrived in Japan on Tuesday.
Turkish Ambassador in Tokyo Solmaz Unaydin and other officials of embassy welcomed Gul at Narita Airport.
Gul, who will start his official meetings tomorrow, will attend a dinner tonight which will be held in his honor at Tokyo embassy. Gul will be briefed about Turkish-Japan relations at the dinner.
Gul will be received by Japanese Honorary Chairman of Turkish Year Prince Mikasa and Princess Mikasa and then he will meet with Turkish citizens living in Japan at Tokyo Embassy.
Gul will then meet with House of Representatives Chairman Yohei Kono, Senate Deputy Chairman and Japan-Turkey Interparliamentary Friendship Group Chairman Shoji Motooka and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi. Gul will attend a dinner hosted by Kawaguchi same day.
Gul will be received by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on December 18.
He will attend a meal held in his honor by Japan-Turkey Interparliamentary Friendship Group and then participate in a round table meeting of Turkish-Japanese Business Council and hold a press conference about his meetings on December 18.
Gul will also open the exhibition ''Three Big Empires in Turkey: Hittite, Byzantium and Ottoman'' in Osaka on December 19 and proceed to Kyoto on December 20 and visit historical and touristic places of the city.
Foreign Minister Gul will leave Japan for Turkey on December 21.
Some deputies, businessmen and high-ranking foreign affairs bureaucrats will accompany Gul.
(GC-AÖ) 16.12.2003