JAPAN (AA) - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, who is currently in Japan on an official visit, met with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi on Wednesday.
Addressing journalists following the two-hour meeting of Turkish and Japanese delegations, Gul said, "Co-operation opportunities in Iraq were high on the agenda of our meeting. Japan has allocated a total of 5 billion U.S. dollars for the rebuilding process in Iraq . I told Japanese officials that Turkey and Turkish businessmen could act as the best partner in well-assessment of this fund. We have the experience, information, and neighborly relations with Iraq while Japan has the finance. If we combine them, we can reach a great achievement."
Recalling that members of the Turkish delegation had met with the Japanese Contractors' Association earlier in the day, Gul said that Japanese contractors were very interested in Turkey."
"We have given information about our project to open a second customs gate with Iraq. Although Japan will send its soldiers to the southern part of Iraq, we have informed Japanese officials on Turkey's sensitivity about activities of the terrorist organization, PKK, in northern Iraq. They told us that they would pay careful attention to Turkey's views," he stressed.
Noting that Japan had some concerns about international terrorism, Gul said, "Japanese officials told us that they were determined to fight against international terrorism. They want to benefit from Turkey's experiences."
"If Japan decides to dispatch its soldiers to Iraq, these soldiers will undertake the mission of arranging infrastructure works. Therefore, Japanese people do not need to be worried," he said.
Stressing that they had expectations from Japan on tourism, Gul said, "Following the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul, the Japanese Foreign Ministry made a warning to its citizens regarding visits to Turkey. I hope that this warning will be lifted following this visit."
Gul said nearly 400,000 people visited the exhibition, "Three Big Civilizations in Turkey" so far, noting that the exhibition would be moved to Osaka on Friday. He said 600 thousand people are expected to visit the exhibition.
Gul, who was received by Prince and Princess Mikasa this morning, met with the Japanese House of Representatives Chairman Yohei Kono and Japanese Senate Deputy Chairman Shooji Motooka.
Motooka, who also acts as the Chairman of Turkish-Japanese Interparliamentary Friendship Group, condemned the terrorist attacks in Istanbul, and noted that international cooperation against terrorism was needed.
Motooka said he examined the "Japanese-Kurdistan Friendship Association", in the Saitama region, which was mentioned during his visit to Turkey, noting that the first diagnosis showed that the association did not have links with the PKK. Motooka said the Japanese government decided to freeze the assets of the PKK and other terrorist organizations.
Saitama is a region in which Kurds, mostly coming from Iraq, live. The association in question had been set up during the visit of one of the leaders of Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Necirvan Barzani to Japan.
The Japanese government, which had planned to send its soldiers to north of Iraq at the beginning, had also invited the Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani to Tokyo.
In a signing ceremony held in the Foreign Ministry prior to official talks, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi signed an addition arranging the schedules of Turkish-Japanese flights of Turkish Air Lines within the scope of Civilian Aviation Agreement.
The two ministers also signed a note regarding a donation of 300,000 U.S. dollars to Japan's Anatolian Civilizations Museum.
Gul will be received by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on December 18.
