ANKARA - Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc returned from Syria to Turkey on Saturday.
Arinc, who paid a three-day visit to Syria, told reporters at Ankara's Esenboga Airport that Syrian officials hosted warmly Turkish delegation.
Stating that although Syrian People's Assembly had been in recess, about 100 Syrian deputies attended the meeting between delegations of the two countries, Arinc said that he held fruitful meetings with Syrian People's Assembly Speaker Mahmoud al-Abrash and Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Utri.
''I stressed that Turkish government attaches great importance to completion of free trade agreement as soon as possible for Turkish-Syrian economic relations to be brought to a better level,'' he noted.
Arinc said that he was received by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and noted that Syrian President expressed his pleasure over positive level in relations between the two countries and his belief that those relations would further improve.
Stating that al-Assad also expressed his pleasure over his official visit to Turkey and interest of Turkish people, Arinc said that al-Assad and he exchanged views on issues concerning the two countries and regional issues.
Noting that he was the first Turkish Parliament Speaker who paid a visit to Syria, Arinc said that his visit would contribute to further improvement of relations between parliaments of the two countries.
Bulent Arinc left Turkey for Syria on April 7. He visited Syrian People's Assembly Speaker Mahmoud al-Abrash the same day. He said that Turkish and Syrian peoples were adherents of the same faith and this constituted the most powerful tie between the two countries.
Turkish Parliament Speaker Arinc later visited Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Utri. Arinc and Utri discussed latest point of bilateral relations.
Arinc attended dinner hosted in his honor in the evening of Wednesday by al-Abrash.
Turkish Parliament Speaker Arinc was received by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday. Arinc said that President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and he shared concern that new plans on the region would bring new problems.
Arinc proceeded from Syrian capital Damascus to Aleppo on Friday and attended late on Friday dinner held in his honor by Turkish Consul General in Aleppo Hulusi Kilic. He attended luncheon hosted in his honor by Aleppo Governor on Saturday before he returned to Turkey.
(EÖ-BRC) 11.04.2004