Friday, 20 February 2009
Turkish President Abdullah Gul left for Kenya on a state visit.
State Minister Said Yazicioglu, Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, and a crowded delegation of businessmen are accompanying President Gul.
President Gul is set to meet with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga during his two day stay in the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi.
On February 22, President Gul and his entourage will proceed to Tanzania to meet with President Jakaya Kikwete. Gul is also set to meet with President Amani Abeid Karume of the autonomous Republic of Zanzibar.
Turkish president will also attend business forums to be hosted by the Confederation of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) both in Kenya and Tanzania.
Gul will be the first Turkish president officially visiting those two countries.
Gul's visits are expected to add momentum to the bilateral relations with Kenya and Tanzania and create new cooperation opportunities in political, economic and cultural relations.
Besides the bilateral relations, recent regional and international developments will be high on agenda of President Gul's scheduled talks.
Turkey's trade volume with African countries increased to 16 billion USD from 5.4 billion USD between 2003 and 2008. It is targeted to increase the trade volume up to 30 billion USD by the end of 2010.
