BAKU (A.A) - Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that they were in an effort to establish a very different force in the Caucasus by being hand in hand with friendly country Azerbaijan.
Erdogan delivered a speech in Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) and Foreign Economic Relations (DEIK) meeting.
Stating that there were religion and language unity between Turkey and Azerbaijan as well as cultural relations, Erdogan said relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan always based on equality, justice, and not intervening to each others' internal relations.
Erdogan said efforts would be exerted from now on to further improve bilateral relations between the two countries.
Noting that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline Project was the best example for this, Erdogan said the will, put forward by the two countries with this project, put its seal on the era.
Erdogan said during his meeting with Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev on Tuesday, he conveyed the view that the project has to be completed before 2005, and noted that Aliyev also said the project has to be completed before 2005.
Erdogan stressed that relations should be improved on energy, adding that trade volume between the two countries decreased.
Erdogan said trade volume will be increased to 500 million U.S. dollars by the end of 2003, and to one billion U.S. dollars at the end of 2004.