Gul Meets His Kyrgyz Counterpart Otunbayeva

BISHKEK (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul met Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Roza Otunbayeva in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek on Friday.
     Prior to the meeting, Gul told reporters, ''a new period has started in Kyrgyzstan, which is a big chance. I wish this new period would bring happiness to Kyrgyz people.''
     Meanwhile, Otunbayeva said, ''Gul's visit shows that the level of relations between two countries will never worsen. We are pleased that Turkey helps Kyrgyzstan overcome the difficulties.''
     Noting that the rule in Kyrgyzstan had recently changed, Otunbayeva said, ''this is an outcome of problems which have been continuing for years in Kyrgyzstan. Several bad incidents against Turkish investors in Kyrgyzstan occurred in this period.'' She thanked Turkey as it gave the message that those incidents had not affected only Turkish investors.
    
     - GUL'S MEETINGS WITH TURKISH BUSINESSMEN -
    
     Prior to his meeting with Otunbayeva, Gul met Turkish businessmen in Kyrgyzstan and listened to their problems.
     Businessmen reminded that several looting incidents happened on March 24th and there are more than 150 Turkish businessmen in Kyrgyzstan, adding that offices of 30 Turkish companies were destroyed during these incidents.
     Turkish businessmen said that they do not want to leave Kyrgyzstan and asked help for compensation of their economic losses.
     They said that they do not believe Kyrgyzstan would help them, adding that they need 9-10 million USD of economic assistance.
     (GC-MS)
2005-05-06