Turkish deputy premier departs for Tunisia

ANKARA (A.A) - January 13, 2012 - Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay on Friday left for Tunisia to attend ceremonies marking the anniversary of the revolution that ousted the country's 23-year-old leader. "Tunisia is friendly country to Turkey. We have given all the support we could in Tunisia's democratization process. And we will be with our Tunisian brothers on such an important day that marks the anniversary of the beginning of first popular uprising in the country a year ago," Atalay told the Anadolu Agency before his departure from the Turkish capital, Ankara.   Atalay said North Africa was a part of Turkey's "civilizational hinterland," adding the government paid very close attention to developments in the region.