Vice President Ansari to visit Turkey

New Delhi, Oct 8 (ANI): Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari will be on a five-day visit to Turkey beginning on Monday.

There have been a number of high-level visits in recent years between the two countries. Vice President Ansari's visit to Ankara is in continuation of the high-level exchanges between India and Turkey.

The Vice President's visit will provide an additional impetus and momentum towards further consolidation and strengthening of the broad-based, multifaceted and comprehensive partnership between India and the Republic of Turkey in areas of mutual interest to mutual benefit.

This would also reinforce the close traditional and historical friendship between India and the Republic of Turkey

Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik, Members of Parliament Sitaram Yechury, Ranjitsingh Vijaysinh Patil, Vijay Pal Singh and Ingrid McLeod will accompany Vice President Ansari on his visit.

He will also be accompanied by senior officials including Shumsher Sheriff, Secretary to the Vice President, and Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, Special Secretary (Public Diplomacy) from the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Vice President's visit commences in Ankara where he will hold delegation-level talks with a delegation of Members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly led by the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Camil Cicek.

The President of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, will receive Vice President Ansari. The Vice President is also expected to meet the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during his visit.

It is expected that during the discussions between the Vice President and his Turkish counterparts the entire gamut of bilateral, regional and international issues will be covered.

Vice President Ansari will pay homage to the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at his Mausoleum in Ankara. He will also visit the historical Provinces of Konya and Nevsesir, which is also better known as Cappadocia.

Vice President Ansari will visit Istanbul where he will participate in a Business Forum at the Turkish Chamber of Businessmen and Industrialists.

While in Konya, the Vice President will be conferred an Honorary Doctorate for International Relations by the Mevlana University.

India's relations with Turkey have a historical bearing. The links between the two countries are civilisational, encompassing architecture, arts, language and cuisine. (ANI)