Japanese PM: We track Turkey's growth of past decade

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who is currently in Turkey to hold formal talks stated on Friday, he was impressed with Turkey's fast growing of the past decade. Abe who held the opening remarks of the 20th Turkish-Japanese Business Council at the Hilton Hotel in Ankara stated that the word "Turkey" has a very beautiful meaning for Japanese people and that two countries have deep rooted relations in history. "Former Japanese Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe who was my father was the first japanese foreign minister to visit Turkey about 30 years ago. I visited Turkey for the first time with him," said Abe at the 20th Turkish-Japanese Business Council which was organized by Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) and Turkish-Japanese Business Council. "As Japan, we closely track Turkish people who work hard. I wish for more high level formal visits between our two countries. For us, the borderline of cooperation is the horizon line," stated Abe. Japanese Prime Minister Abe added, he would be coming together with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday afternoon and said, "In these meetings, I hope that the strategic dialogue between Turkey and Japan will increase. Especially, we will hold studies in the field of defense. Relations will gain a new dimension." Moreover, Abe reminded that Tokyo was a candidate city to host 2020 Olympic Games likewise Istanbul and added, "If Istanbul is chosen as the host of the 2020 games, then I will be the first person to congratulate it. Likewise, I have no doubts that if Tokyo gets it, Turkey will be the one to congratulate us at first as well." Lastly, Japanese Prime Minister Abe visited the Mausoleum of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and laid a wreath at Ataturk's Mausoleum and observed a minute of silence. Abe later signed Anitkabir Special Registry.