ERDOGAN: ``I BELIEVE THAT MY VISIT WILL ACCELERATE OUR RELATIONS``

ANKARA - BUCHAREST - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, ``I believe that my visit will accelerate our bilateral relations with Romania.``
Prime Minister Erdogan left for Romania as the official guest of Prime Minister Adrian Nastase of Romania on Thursday.
Holding a news conference at Ankara`s Esenboga Airport prior to his departure, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ``I believe that my visit will accelerate our bilateral relations and co-operation with Romania.``
Recalling that he would be the first Turkish prime minister paying an official visit to Romania since 1998, ``as you know, Prime Minister Nastase of Romania visited Turkey in May of 2003. Romania is one of the friendly countries in our region. Our bilateral relations based on mutual understanding and friendship and our co-operation have made a considerable progress recently. There has not been any political problems between our countries. There are many affinities in regional and international policies of Turkey and Romania.``
``Our economic and commercial relations with Romania have reached a quite satisfactory level. Our trade volume has increased up to 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in the last two years. Number of Turkish investments in Romania have also increased,`` he said.
Prime Minister Erdogan told reporters, ``we appreciate Romania`s steps to integrate with Europe. We welcomed Romania`s becoming a member of NATO a while ago. We believe that further development of our co-operation with Romania would contribute to efforts to provide lasting peace and stability in the Balkans.``
Prime Minister Erdogan added that Prime Minister Nastase and he would also attend Turkey-Romania Business Council meeting.

TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN WELCOMED WITH OFFICIAL CEREMONY
Erdogan was welcomed with an official ceremony by Prime Minister Adrian Nastase of Romania on Thursday.

ERDOGAN AND NASTASE HOLD JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that relations between Turkey and Romania would reach the future in a very different way after Turkey started accession talks with the European Union (EU).
Erdogan and Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase held a joint news conference on Thursday following their tete-a-tete meeting and meetings between Turkish and Romanian delegations, which they had chaired.
Erdogan recalled that Nastase had visited Turkey in May of 2003 and he was pleased to visit Romania.
Stating that as two Black Sea littoral countries, Turkey and Romania had friendship for long years, Erdogan stressed that there was not any political problem between the two countries, which signaled good relations in the future.
Noting that trade volume between Turkey and Romania had been 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2003, Erdogan said that they targeted to increase it to 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2004 and to 3 billion U.S. dollars in 2005. Stating that there was a balance in trade between the two countries, Erdogan said that a number of Turkish businessmen had made investments in Romania, which was not sufficient, adding that Turkish and Romanian businessmen should make joint investments in third countries.
Erdogan said that 180 thousand Romanian tourists had visited Turkey in 2003, which should be much more.
``I believe that relations between Turkey and Romania would reach the future in a very different way after Turkey starts accession talks with the EU in December of 2004,`` the Turkish Prime Minister stated. Noting that they were thinking of a joint solidarity against terrorism, Erdogan recalled that Turkish Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu and Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek had paid a visit to Romania last week to this end. Erdogan added that a protocol on this issue should be signed immediately.
Reminding that Romania had initiated democratization process on May 15, 1990, Erdogan said that they would extend every support to help both Romanian citizens in Turkey and Turkish citizens in Romania exercise their religion.
Nastase expressed his pleasure with hosting Erdogan in Romania. Nastase thanked Turkey for its support to Romania`s NATO membership and requested for continuation of this support.
Stressing that Romania would extend necessary support to Turkey`s EU membership, Nastase said he thought that bilateral relations would be further strengthened after both Turkey and Romania joined the EU.
Regarding economic relations between the two countries, Nastase said that trade volume would reach 2.5 billion euros in 2004 and to 3 billion euros in 2005.
Nastase added that the Romanian government would extend necessary support to restoration of Saint Parasakevic Orthodox Church in Istanbul.
Prior to the news conference, Turkey and Romania signed cooperation agreement in level of small and medium scale enterprises and the Turkish Eximbank and Romanian Eximbank signed a cooperation agreement.
(GC-MS-AÖ) 20.05.2004