Georgian, Turkish PMs Vow to Further Boost Bilateral Ties
Turkish PM Erdogan and Georgian counterpart Ivanishvili hold joint press conferenceLevel of good neighborly relations between Turkey and Georgia should be an example for other countries in the region, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said after meeting with his Georgian counterpart Bidzina Ivanishvili in Ankara on February 14.
Turkish PM Erdoğan said that broad range of issues was discussed, involving political, trade and economic aspects, as well as issues related to rehabilitation of sites of cultural heritage, handing over of Turkish citizens serving prison terms in Georgia and repatriation of Meskhetian Turks back to Ahiska (georgia) – survivors or descendants of a Muslim population who were deported by joseph stalin from southern georgia in 1944.
"We were pleased to note that Prime Minister Ivanishvili looked positively to the issue of Meskhetian Turks, Our relations with Georgia go way beyond neighborly relations. We have full support for Georgia's territorial integrity and hegemony within internationally-recognized boundaries. Our relations with Georgia will only continue to grow," Erdogan underlined.
Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili stated, "The meetings held all took place in a warm atmosphere. The Prime Minister is already very fond of Georgia. He has visited Batumi numerous times, and he is always welcome. Like me, Mr. Prime Minister is also not fond of formalities, therefore we can also speak over the phone," stated Ivanishvili. Prime Minister Erdoğan responded by stating, "We are not going to get hung up by protocol. We have agreed to keep our telephone lines open for one another 24 hours a day."?
©
NNA-TV
| 
