ANKARA - NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will visit Ankara as a part of courtesy visits he is paying to the capitals of ally countries.
Foreign Ministry statement said Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who will be in Ankara on February 18, will meet with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul on February 19.
The statement said Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will proceed from Ankara to Athens.
The statement said, ''we sincerely believe that De Hoop Scheffer will fulfill his mission successfully as Secretary General thanks to his high qualities, and that he would maintain the transformation process facilitating NATO to oppose the daily and future threats, and that he would provide the Alliance to work in unity and integrity.''
The statement expressed readiness to continue every kind of cooperation with de Hoop Scheffer on the way to NATO Istanbul Summit, noting that it was pleasing that the visit on February coincides with the 52nd anniversary of Turkey's accession to the Alliance.
The statement said, ''Turkey will continue to contribute actively to the activities of NATO aiming at strengthening peace, security and stability in Europe-Atlantic area and contiguous regions.
(AY-AÖ) 17.02.2004