ANKARA - Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has stated today (Thursday) that his visit to Syria is not only important for the Arab and Islamic worlds, but also the region itself. ''We consider Syria as a prominent republic in the region. We have made decisions to further improve the existing ties in politics, economics and commercial areas.''
Sezer stressed that the hospitality he received from the Syrian President Bashir Esad and Prime Minister Naci Otri was exceptional. ''I would like to thank the Syrian people for their warm hospitality,'' mentioned Sezer.
Sezer pointed out that his discussions with Esad were very fruitful. ''We had a chance to evaluate our historical ties. We discussed regional issues that have an impact on global politics. We talked about the United Nations Security Council decision that puts a demand on Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.''
According to Sezer, relations between Turkey and Syria are promising despite rough relations in the recent past. ''We are very happy to see that the business communities of both nations are interacting very firmly. Our ties with Syria will contribute to regional peace and stability.''