Turkey : missile deployment poses no threat to Syria

Visiting Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said here Sunday the deployment of NATO missiles on the border with Syria would pose no threat to this Arab nation. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Algerian counterpart Murad Medelci, Davutoglu said the missile deployment with Syria is only something related to Turkey's self-defense, especially after a Turkish plane was downed by Al-Assad's regime. The Turkish foreign minister reiterated his country's support for the legitimate rights of people. Earlier in the day, he unveiled at a joint news conference with Medelci that entry visas by Algerians to Turkey would be cancelled soon. Hailing Turkish-Algerian cooperative ties, he said they had agreed to step up bilateral cooperation in maritime and air transport. On the current crisis in Mali, the Turkish foreign minister said Ankara is keen to safeguard Mali's unity and territorial integrity. For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Murad Medelci said he had had deep talks with his Turkish counterpart on key issues of mutual interest, primarily Palestine, Syria, Sahel and Mali. He said both sides had voiced willingness to further promote and reinforce cooperation in security and defense. Trade exchange between Algeria and Turkey hits USD four million, while Turkish investments in Algeria are estimated at USD one billion, he pointed out. The Turkish foreign minister arrived here on Sunday evening on an official visit to Algeria.