Gul To Receive German Foreign Minister Fischer

ANKARA - Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will receive German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer who will come to Turkey on Thursday.
Fischer will arrive in Istanbul on Thursday under his visit to Turkey.
As Germany will take over European Union (EU) Security Council Presidency for one month in February and the council will take up Iraq issue next month, Fischer will visit regional countries to follow developments about Iraq issue prior to the presidency.
Sources said that Joschka Fischer wanted to visit Turkey at first due to importance of Turkey's initiative for hosting five countries in the region to seek ways to solve Iraq issue peacefully.
Prime Minister Gul will go to Istanbul on Thursday for the summit meeting among foreign ministers of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Syria and he will have a meeting with Fischer in Istanbul.
Sources said that bilateral and regional issues in addition to Iraq issue would be on the agenda of the meeting between Gul and Fischer.
Fischer would not attend the foreign ministers' summit meeting, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Greek and Italian foreign ministers would visit Turkey next week under the EU Troika, sources added.