King Hamad, President Erdogan hold talks, agreements signed

Manama, Aug. 25 (BNA): His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a closed meeting and discussed strong bilateral relations, in addition to regional and international issues and developments. The two leaders then co-chaired a session of official talks, in the presence of members of both delegations. Addressing the session, President Erdogan welcomed HM the King, hailing his official visit to Turkey. The Turkish leader commended HM the King for the phone call in the aftermath of the coup attempt. "The people and Government of Turkey will never forget this stance which will remain engraved in our memory", he said, thanking HM the King and the people of Bahrain, in his name, and on behalf of the Turkish people. President Erdogan extended thanks to His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, hailing his charismatic personality and political statesmanship in the region. .He commended outstanding bilateral relations and said that he directed to expand military, economic and trade cooperation and benefit from the Turkish expertise in the sectors of health, energy, industry, tourism and social housing. President Erdogan called for the joint economic committee to convene during the last quarter of this year in Turkey to expand cooperation and boost the volume of trade exchanges. He invited HM the King to attend the energy conference which will be held in Turkey in October, hailing Bahrain's stances against terrorist organisations. Addressing the joint session, HM the King said that Bahrain welcomed the reinstatement of security and stability in Turkey, led by President Erdogan, wishing Turkey and its people further progress and prosperity. The King thanked President Erdogan for his invitation to pay an official visit to Turkey, commending the leadership, Government and people of Turkey for the warm welcome and kind hospitality. "We would like to stress the importance of fraternal communication between our brotherly countries", he said, hailing the historic standing of Turkey, which represents a successful model to emulate in the region. The Kingdom of Bahrain, HM the King said, firmly considers Turkey as a brother and ally, adding that his visit will herald new horizons for joint work and boost deep-rooted relations. He highlighted the common bonds linking the two countries, citing particularly Islamic culture, joint cultural heritage, exchanged visits and expertise for the sake of the two countries. The two leaders voiced satisfaction at the pace of steadily-growing relations, stressing the importance of constant consultation, joint coordination, exchanging visits and expertise. They lauded the tangible progress and successful cooperation between the private sectors and businessmen, stressing the importance of pursuing the momentum and further expanding joint cooperation. They stressed the business-friendly environment and investment incentives in Bahrain and Turkey's industrial, trade and economic expertise. HM the King hailed Turkey's landmark economic and development strides, led by President Erdogan, saying that Turkey has thus earned a recognized regional and international standing. He commended the Turkish community, haling their contribution to Bahrain's development and progress. During the session of talks, the two sides discussed the regional situation and exchanged views on regional and international political developments, stressing their countries' stances in this regard. The two sides underscored the importance of coordination and consultation regarding regional and international issues of mutual interest, towards strengthening the roles of the two countries for the sake of Arab and Islamic interests. They backed regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and extremism and consolidate security and stability in the region. HM the King hailed the pivotal role of turkey in supporting Arab and Islamic causes and positive contribution alongside the international community to the regional and global security, stability and peace. HM King Hamad and President Erdogan attended the signing of a string of agreements and memoranda of understanding as follows: 1. Memorandum of youth and sport cooperation, signed by His Majesty's Representative for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Supreme Council for Youth and Sport (SCYS) Chairman, Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) President His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa and Sports and Youth Minister Cagatay Kilic. 2. Legal Cooperation Agreement relating to Civil, Trade and Penal issues, signed by Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag. 3. Protocol amending and completing provisions of the agreement between the Government of Bahrain and the Turkish Government on aviation services, signed by Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa and Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister Ahmet Arslan. 4. Executive Programme for cultural cooperation, signed by Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa and Education Minister Nabi Avci. 5. Protocol of Cooperation between the University of Bahrain and the Yunus Emre Institute, signed by Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. HM King Hamad and President Erdogan hailed the agreements and memoranda of understanding which, they said, will contribute to strengthening bilateral relations and boost cooperation in all fields. HM King Hamad attended a dinner banquet hosted by President Erdogan in his honour at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, in the presence of the official Bahraini delegation and senior Turkish Government officials. The two leaders held cordial talks on strong bilateral relations and then exchanged commemorative mementos.