Ankara - Petra
His Majesty King Abdullah II on Tuesday visited the Turkish National Assembly and met with Speaker Cemil Cicek and members of the Assembly for a discussion on means of strengthening parliamentary cooperation between the two countries, in order to serve the common interests of the two brotherly peoples, as well as a number of regional and international issues of common concern. His Majesty stressed, during the meeting attended by Lower House Speaker, Sa\'ad Hayel Srour, Jordan\'s keenness to develop Jordanian-Turkish relations, and exchange legislative expertise. Cicek expressed keenness to open channels with Jordanian lawmakers and exchange expertise. King Abdullah highlighted Jordan\'s reform efforts in various fields, noting that the recent parliamentary elections were an essential step on the path of reform, which promotes popular participation in decision-making and contributes to building a better tomorrow for all Jordanians. The meeting discussed a number of regional issues, particularly efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace to realize the aspirations of the Palestinian people and establish their independent state based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions. The King stressed the need to preserve the identity of Jerusalem and protect Muslim and Christian sites from Israeli threats. King Abdullah and Cicek tackled challenges facing Jordan and Turkey because of the crisis in Syria and the influx of refugees to both countries.