ANKARA - Turkish Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan said on Friday that Romania`s interest towards Turkish minority (in that country) constituted the basis of the relations between Turkey and Romania.
On the last day of his formal visit to Romania, Toptan met Romanian Mufti Yusuf Murat, and said that Turkey would do its best for Romania which is eager to become a member of the OECD.
Murat said that there were 72 mosques in the country and that his office was completely independent.
Toptan and accompanying delegation then visited Hunkar Mosque, and met Rustu Coskun, imam (prayer leader) of the mosque.
Toptan also met Constanta Governor Danut Culetu. Culetu said that 715,000 people were living in the city and Turkish minority ranked the top among other minorities.
Culetu said that friendship between Turks and Romanians should be cemented through big projects and proposed the construction of a Black Sea highway connecting Turkey and Romania. Culetu also wanted Turkish, Romanian and Bulgarian officials to cooperate for the implementation the project.
(GC-ULG)