ANKARA - ''No force can disrupt our national unity and integrity of our country. Nobody should be suspicious that Turkish Republic will be protected,'' Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said on Wednesday.
Sezer made a statement at Ankara's Esenboga Airport prior to his departure for Syria upon the invitation of Syrian President Bashar al-Asad.
Recalling that he had paid a one-day visit to Damascus on June 13th, 2000 to attend the funeral of late Syrian President Hafez Assad, Sezer said this visit would be a follow up to the visit of Bashar al-Asad to Turkey on January 13th, 2004.
Sezer said mutual visits between Syria and Turkey are indications of the mutual respect, understanding and the development formed under the basis of dialogue.
Emphasizing that Turkish-Syrian relations would be discussed in all dimensions during the visit, Sezer said, ''I foresee to focus on the steps that can be made to further improve relations, and to express Turkey's stance toward the regional issues interesting the two countries.''
Sezer expressed belief that his visit would contribute to the improvement of relations and peace and stability of the region. He also said the visit would further strengthen the closeness between the peoples of the two countries.
-NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENTS CAUSING UNEASINESS-
Giving information to journalists about his visit to Syria, Sezer underlined that, ''we should preserve our common sense against internal and external circles calling for increase of negative developments which occurred in some of our cities recently. We should not be incited by those probable provocation serving to definite targets. No force can disrupt our national unity and integrity of our country.''