ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will leave for France on Monday, sources said on Sunday.
On the first day of his three-day official visit, Erdogan will meet French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and the Turkish citizens living in France.
On the second day, Erdogan will attend a conference in which French businessmen will join and make a presentation titled, ''Turkey-France: New Perspectives for an Influential Partnership''.
Following the conference, Erdogan will be received by French President Jacques Chirac.
Erdogan will meet Edouard Balladur, the head of French parliament's foreign affairs commission and commission members after Chirac hosts a working lunch.
Erdogan will also meet Alain Juppe, the leader of ruling Union for the People's Movement.
On the third and last day of the official visit, Erdogan will meet leading French businessmen at breakfast.
Erdogan will also meet Francois Hollande, the first secretary of the main opposition Socialist Party at the French parliament, and speaker of the parliament and senate president on the last day of his visit to the French capital. He will also meet Jean Louis Debre, the President of the French National Assembly and Francois Bayrou, the President of the Union for French Democracy (UDF).
Erdogan will leave for Turkey following the talks.
Bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues like Turkish-European Union (EU) relations, Cyprus, Iraq, Middle East, North Africa Initiative, transatlantic relations, Afghanistan, recent situation in the Caucasus, and energy, are expected to be discussed during Erdogan's meetings with senior French officials.
(BRC) 18.07.2004