King Abdullah, Turkish president discuss ties, Mideast issues

His Majesty King Abdullah II and Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Tuesday held talks in Ankara on ways of cementing bilateral relations and current developments in the region, particularly Syria and efforts to achieve peace in accordance with the two-state solution. His Majesty and President Gul called for further efforts to enhance cooperation in areas of economy, tourism, energy, transportation, and infrastructure projects. King Abdullah said Jordanian-Turkish relations are a model of strong ties in the Middle East as they evolve and grow to serve the common interests of the two peoples. The King pointed out that there is an opportunity to develop the two-way trade exchange which reached about $900 million. His Majesty added that the Turkish economic model is appreciated globally and is stepping forward with tangible and strong results. President Gul hailed Jordan’s reform drive and the King’s keenness to ensure broader citizens’ engagement in decision-making. The Turkish President paid tribute to the King’s discussion papers which he said are a true indication of the reformist vision of His Majesty the King. “It is important that political reform goes in line with maintaining stability and security, and this is what has characterized the Jordanian model”, praising the fairness and transparency of the Jordanian parliamentary elections,” Gul said. President Gul thanked His Majesty the King for hosting a delegation of senior Turkish journalists prior to the visit, which resulted in positive coverage of the relations between the two countries, and highlighted opportunities for deepening cooperation in various fields. The talks also dealt with coordination and consultation mechanisms on various regional and international issues first and foremost of which are the crisis in Syria and efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East according to the two-state solution. In remarks to reporters after the talks, His Majesty King Abdullah II expressed his thanks to President Gul for the warm reception and hospitality. The King said “my discussion today with the Turkish President included many topics, and was very fruitful, as my visit to Turkey comes at an important time the Middle East is living.” The King said that despite common challenges facing Jordan and Turkey, which came as a result of tensions and conflicts in the region, “but with these challenges come opportunities, and one of the main objectives of my visit to Turkey is to develop bilateral relations and take advantage of features that bring us together, especially the free trade agreement between the two countries, as well as fruitful cooperation, which we work to strengthen in strategic areas, most importantly trade, information technology, tourism, industry, energy, and water. ” On regional issues, His Majesty stressed that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at the heart of instability in the region, “and the international community must redouble its efforts to quickly re-launch negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis on the basis of two-state solution, which is the only way to reach a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.” He expressed deep concern of threats facing the city of Jerusalem and its holy places, stressing that Jordan will continue its efforts to protect the identity of the holy city and its historic Muslin and Christian sites. The King said he discussed during the talks with President Gul the Syrian crisis, calling for a comprehensive political solution that puts an end to the bloodshed and restores security and stability in Syria, and preserves the unity of its people and territory. King Abdullah pointed out that this solution must be inclusive and leads to cessation of all manifestations of sectarian conflict and spare Syria any division, warning of the dire consequences of this on the Syrian people and the region as a whole. In his remarks, President Gul underlined Jordanian-Turkish ties and stressed keenness to develop them in various fields. He added that a delegation of Jordanian businessmen will meet ,on the sidelines of the King’s visit, with their Turkish counterparts to explore opportunities to boost cooperation between the private sectors in the two countries. President Gul said that Turkey and Jordan are bearing the repercussions of the massive outflow of Syrian refugees whose number Turkey is more than 180,000 while the number in Jordan is much larger.