Japan Prem. Abe Leaves for Turkey

Tokyo, Oct. 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left on a three-day visit to Turkey on Monday morning aboard a government plane, aiming to deepen the two countries' ties in various fields such as politics and the economy through a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The trip comes only about six months after the Japanese leader's previous visit to Turkey in early May. At their meeting in Istanbul on Tuesday, Abe and Erdogan are expected to discuss issues such as Japan's nuclear plant exports to Turkey, an envisioned economic partnership agreement for free trade between the two nations and the Syrian situation. Just before his departure, Abe told reporters at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda that Turkey is "indeed a strategically important country for Japan," adding that he wants to strengthen a relationship of trust with the Turkish leader in order to help enhance the two countries' economic ties. After arriving in Istanbul on Monday afternoon local time, Abe will hold talks with Kadir Topbas, mayor of the biggest Turkish city, within the day. On Tuesday, Abe will hold a meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul. Abe will also meet with descendants of crew members of the Turkish warship Ertugrul, which sank off Japan in 1890 during a voyage to send a mission to Japan. Abe is also slated to attend an opening ceremony for a tunnel constructed under the strait of Bosphorus. Japanese companies participated in the underwater tunnel project. He will return home Wednesday afternoon. Japan's opposition camp is criticizing plans by the ruling coalition, led by Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, to start debates at the Diet, Japan's parliament, on a bill aimed at boosting the international competitiveness of domestic industries during the prime minister's visit to Turkey. In this regard, Abe said at Haneda, "My administration attaches great importance on parliamentary debates." But he added, "It is also important to secure Japan's national interests through bilateral summit talks." END