TOKYO - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Turkish-Japanese Interparliamentary Friendship Group members at breakfast on Tuesday. Speaking at the meeting at the New Botani Hotel, Erdogan said they were determined to improve relations between Turkey and Japan. Noting that the Japanese Friendship Group was the most powerful group in the Turkish parliament with its 380 members, Erdogan said, ''and it is a display of interest of our friends in the parliament in Japan.'' Noting that he brought compliments of Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc who had paid a visit to Japan recently, Erdogan recalled that 2003 year was declared as the Turkish Year in Japan, ''similarly, we will declare Japanese year.'' Stressing that they knew that Japan had been having difficult days as three Japanese citizens were taken hostage in Iraq, Erdogan said that they appreciated Japan's peaceful attitude in Iraq as it had displayed in Afghanistan. Stating that they wanted to form a joint stance against terrorism, Erdogan said that they welcomed Japan's decision to lift measures on travels to Turkey after terrorist attacks that targeted Turkey in November of 2003.

ERDOGAN MEETS WITH JAPANESE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SPEAKER KONO AND SENATE PRESIDENT KURATA
Erdogan separately met with Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono and Senate President Hiroyuki Kurata early on Tuesday.
Speaking at the meeting in the Japanese parliament, Yohei said that Turkish Year in Japan continued to be celebrated, being a step on further development of bilateral relations while Erdogan expressed his pleasure with visiting Japan.
Erdogan and accompanying delegation later met with Hiroyuki. Speaking at the meeting, Hiroyuki said that Turkey which was situated in a geography that connected Europe, Middle East and Central Asia to each other was an important country for stability in the region.
Noting that relations between Turkey and Japan had been improving, Hiroyuki said that terrorism was the most serious problem in the world. Stressing that international community should act jointly for suppression of terrorism, Hiroyuki said that Japan 'requested Turkey's support' for stability in northeastern Asia against North Korea which produced nuclear weapons.
Noting that Japan allocated five billion U.S. dollars of budget for Iraq, Hiroyuki said that their support to rebuilding of Iraq would continue.
Recalling that three Japanese citizens were taken hostage in Iraq, Hiroyuki said that he closely followed Turkey's attitude against the event.
Meanwhile, Erdogan said that Turkey and Japan could take joint steps in different fields, adding that existence of Turkish-Japanese interparliamentary friendship groups was a display of it.
Later, Erdogan visited the Turkish Mosque in Tokyo.

JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI SPEAKS TO A.A.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Tuesday that Japan considered Turkey as a ''close country'' despite the geographical distance.
Koizumi, who replied to questions of the A.A correspondent, said Turkey played an important role in stability of the region as it was situated in intersection point of Europe, Middle East and Asia.
Koizumi said they considered peace and stability of the Middle East as directly related with the peace and stability of Japan, and noted that Japan continued to send humanitarian aid to Iraq. Koizumi said Japan also continued to help in restructuring of Iraq.
Koizumi said Japan attributed importance to cooperation with neighboring countries, mainly Turkey, in restructuring of Iraq.
Japanese Premier said Turkey's knowledge and experience would be beneficial in maintenance of efforts of Japan in restructuring of Iraq.
Koizumi said Japan appreciated efforts of Turkey to find a solution on Cyprus, and noted that they expected Cyprus problem to reach a solution. Koizumi said they also appreciated the reforms fulfilled by Turkey.
Question: How do you evaluate the economic relations between Turkey and Japan? What can be done to further improve relations?
Answer: Whenever I think of relations between Turkey and Japan, I always remember that strong friendship ties were formed with the help of Japanese people to Turkish victims after naval vessel ''Ertugrul'' was capsized and sank with 609 people off Japanese shores killing 540 of them, on its way returning to home.
The period extending from the year 2003 to May 2004 has been celebrated as ''Turkey Year'' in Japan and 150 activities have taken place so far strengthening ties between the two countries, Koizumi noted.
As to the economic relations, Koizumi said direct investment of Japan to Turkey increased, and number of Japanese companies acting in Turkey increased to 60 and total investments reached more than 1.8 billion U.S. dollars.
Koizumi said he knew that Turkish government fulfilled various reforms and made new arrangements in laws to encourage foreign investors, stressing that he hoped Turkish-Japanese Business Council meetings, in which leading businessmen of the two countries attended, would be a means for further improvement of economic relations.
Question: What is the role of Japan in the region in which Iraq is also located? How do you evaluate Turkey's role? What kind of cooperation relations can Turkey and Japan install for restructuring of Iraq?
Answer: Japan appreciates Turkey's important role in stability of region as it is situated in intersection point of Europe, Middle East and Asia regions.
Despite the geographical distance, Turkey and Japan have similar point of view to the stability of the Middle East.
Koizumi said Japan attributed importance to cooperation with the regional countries, mainly Turkey in restructuring of Iraq.
Question: What does Japan think about the current situation of Cyprus question and Turkey's full membership to the European Union (EU)?
Answer: We know that Turkey actively fulfills various reforms regarding the EU membership and we appreciated those efforts.
Question: What does Japan think of the Greater Middle East Initiative put forward by the United States?
Answer: I know that U.S. brought this view on to agenda for the peace and stability of the Middle East region and to make cooperation with the countries of the Middle East region in democratic and economic reforms which the Middle East countries would fulfill.
Koizumi said he wanted continuation of relations between Turkey and Japan on the basis of friendship and to improve close relations in many areas in policy as well as in economy and culture.
(AA) 13.04.2004