ANKARA, Feb 11 (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will make official visits to Albania and Bosnia next week to improve bilateral relations with the two Balkan countries, Erdogan's office said Friday.
Erdogan will visit Albania on Tuesday where he will meet with his Albanian counterpart Fatos Nano and the president of the parliament Servet Pellumbi before being received by the head of state, Alfred Moisiu.
On Wednesday, Erdogan will travel to Sarajevo where he is scheduled to hold meetings with the Bosnian leader Adnan Terzic and other officials, a statement from the Turkish prime minister's office said.
The following day he will travel to Mostar in southern Bosnia especially to see the city's Old Bridge, which was designed in the 16th century by a Turkish architect.
A masterpiece of classic Ottoman architecture, the bridge has been restored to the original after being destroyed during the 1992-1995 Balkan wars by Bosnian Croat forces.
Albania and Bosnia centuries ago were part of the Ottoman empire. The influence of Turkish culture is still found throughout Bosnia.
02/11/2005 15:18 GMT - AFP