ANKARA - Syrian Transportation Minister Makram Ubayd, who came to Turkey for Turkey-Syria Joint Transportation Commission meeting, visited Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim on Monday.
Yildirim said that when Turkey and Syria mutually developed their airways, seaways, highways and railways, other relations would be developed as well.
Yildirim said that relations between Turkey and Syria have developed on a pleasing level in recent period and added that transportation ministers had important responsibilities to develop trade and tourism between two countries.
Yildirim said that Gaziantep Airport would be opened to international traffic and also Gaziantep-Kilis highway construction was continuing.
Yildirim said that when construction of the road from Kilis to Aleppo was completed, people, coming from Aleppo, could reach Gaziantep in nearly one hour and then could proceed to any place by airway.
Noting that they supported the project on establishment of free trade zones at border gates, Yildirim said that they carried out a joint activity with Foreign Trade Undersecretariat on the issue.
When a reported asked Yildirim whether his Ministry received an information about closing of international airport in Iran which was also including Turkish firms on the day it was opened, Yildirim said that he heard such news yesterday and asked for information, adding that he would release necessary statement when he received a complete information.
Syrian Transportation Minister Ubayd said that he attended the foundation ceremony of Marmaray Project-Railway Tube Passage yesterday and stressed that it was an important project that would connect East to West.
Ubayd said that the pleasing political relations between Turkey and Syria would continue with the cooperation of transportation ministers of two countries. He added that they aimed to further develop transportation and communication issues. Noting that Turkey and Syria would make cooperation in transportation field and they would carry on activities for the solution of problems, if any problem existed, Ubayd said that both countries were a bridge for each other geographically.
Noting that there were five border gates between two countries, Ubayd said that project on establishment of free trade zones at border gates would be taken up in commission meetings.
Ubayd said that two countries also wanted to make active maritime transportation.
(GC-AÖ) 10.05.2004