ANKARA - EU Commission President Romano Prodi arrived in Ankara on Thursday as the guest of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Prodi, who was accompanied by European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen, was welcomed by State Minister Mehmet Aydin at Esenboga Airport.
Prodi, who is the first EU Commission President who comes to Ankara since the signing of Ankara Agreement in 1963.
Prodi who will visit Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and address the parliament, later come together with opposition party Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal.
On the second day of his visit to Ankara, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will receive Prodi in the morning and later Prodi will visit Ataturk's Mausoleum.
EU Commission delegation will later proceed to Istanbul. Prodi will hold a conference at Bogazici University, attend the opening ceremony of EU Istanbul Information Centre and visit historical places.
OFFICIAL CEREMONY HELD IN PRIME MINISTRY
Prodi was welcomed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an official ceremony.
After the ceremony, Erdogan and Prodi came together for a tete-a-tete meeting. Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen, EU Commission's Turkey Representative Hans Joerg Kretschmer, Turkey's Permanent Representative to EU Oguz Demiralp and AK Party deputy Egemen Bagýs attended also the meeting.
Erdogan and Prodi will hold a joint news conference after the meetings between the delegations.
(ÖÞ) 15.01.2004