MOSTAR, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Feb 17 (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan strolled Thursday down Mostar's famous Old Bridge, the masterpiece of classic Ottoman architecture restored after having been destroyed in the country's 1992-95 war.
Erdogan, who arrived in Bosnia on Wednesday for a two-day official visit, walked with city officials in the old part of the southern city, looking at many handcraft shops near the bridge.
"Mostar is a city which has preserved its historic architecture and its citizens must look into the future with hope," Erdogan said.
"This visit is of great significance to me, as I was prevented from attending the opening of the reconstructed Old Bridge last summer because of the terrible accident in Turkey," he said referring to a train accident which left 36 people dead.
The 16th century bridge, destroyed by Bosnian Croat forces in 1993, was painstakingly restored with the help from the international community, including Turkey.
The total cost of the reconstruction was 15 million dollars (12 million euros).
Bosnia was under Ottoman rule for more than four centuries -- from the mid 15th to late 19th century.
On Wednesday, Erdogan who had arrived in Bosnia together with 100 Turkish businessmen, signed with Bosnia's Prime Minister Adnan Terzic an agreement on abolishing double taxation in order to boost trade.
02/17/2005 17:31 GMT - AFP