Countries & Regions

　Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Republic of Turkey from Monday, October 28, to Tuesday, October 29. An overview of his visit is as follows:

October 28
　（1）Courtesy call by Mr. Kadir Topbaş, the Mayor of Istanbul
　（2）Attended a reception hosted by Marmaray Project JV (Taisei Corporation, etc.)

October 29
　（3）Courtesy call by descendants of crew members of Ertuğrul Frigate and families of pilots of the planes and others who engaged the rescue operation for the Japanese in Tehran International Airport
　（4）Visit to Topkapi Palace
　（5）Attended opening ceremony of the Marmaray Project
　（6）Japan-Turkey Summit Meeting and joint press conference
　（7）Attended dinner hosted by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of Turkey, with leaders and Cabinet members of other countries

　On October 29, commencing at 8:20 p.m. (3:20 a.m., October 30, JST) for approximately 50 minutes, Prime Minister Abe held a summit meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of Turkey, at the Turkish Prime Minister’s office in Istanbul and subsequently held a meeting with business leaders having close ties with Turkey. Then, the two leaders held a joint press conference. An overview of the summit meeting is as follows:

• The two leaders shared the view that they would deepen security strategy dialogues between Japan and Turkey, which is located in a geographically important region and has been implementing multi-directional diplomacy. Moreover, on the basis of a recognition that it is important for the leaders and foreign ministers of the two countries to meet more often, Prime Minister Abe expressed his welcome for Prime Minister Erdogan’s earlier visit to Japan and also stated that he would like to make the mutual relationship closer through visit to Japan by Dr. Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.
• Prime Minister Abe introduced Japan’s support for the Syrian situation and the two leaders shared the view that they would coordinate for realization of the Geneva 2 Conference. Regarding Iran, Prime Minister Abe stated that the Government of Japan would contribute to resolution of the nuclear issue, explaining he had previously held a meeting with Dr. Hassan Rouhani, President of Iran, and he would dispatch Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Iran.

• Concerning the Sinop Nuclear Power Plant Project, the two leaders welcomed the conclusion of the “Host Government Agreement” as a result of the negotiation between the Japanese companies and the Government of Turkey and signed the “Joint Declaration by the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on Cooperation in the Field of Nuclear Energy and Science and Technology.”
• In terms of increasing flights by Turkish Airlines to Japan, which had been requested by Prime Minister Erdoğan last May, the two leaders confirmed that the Governments of the two countries agreed to increase flights to the New Tokyo International Airport (Narita) and to start flights newly to the Central Japan International Airport (Nagoya).
• Prime Minister Erdoğan expressed his expectation to the expansion of trade, including agricultural products, and investment, particularly on the Japanese side. Prime Minister Abe expressed his expectation for Turkey to ease the regulation on radioactive substances in Japan-made food products toward the end of the year.

• Prime Minister Abe introduced a fact that the Japanese side had set up an exploratory committee for a Japan-Turkey university of science and technology that the two leaders had concurred on during Prime Minister Abe’s visit last May and proposed an early visit to Japan by the exploratory committee on the Turkish side, a visit to Japanese colleges and universities, and holding a joint committee with the Japanese side.
• Concerning a movie on Ertuğrul Frigate and the rescue of Japanese in Tehran International Airport, which is co-produced by Japan and Turkey aiming for a release of the movie in 2015, the two leaders shared the view that they would cooperate in making the release of the movie by that year.