President Saleh to visit Turkey on Monday

SANA’A, Feb. 24 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh will start on Monday an official visit to Turkey then to Germany. During his visit to Turkey, president Saleh will discuss with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul means of enhancing ties and mutual cooperation between Yemen and Turkey as well as current development in the regional and international arenas. In October 1984, Saleh paid his first visit to Turkey which opened wild horizons of the bilateral relations between the two countries. In 1986, Yemen appointed its ambassador to Baghdad as non-resident ambassador to Ankara and, therefore, turkey appointed its ambassador to Riyadh as non-resident ambassador to Sana’a. After the Yemeni reunification, the two countries approved setting up their embassies in both countries. Earlier, in 1926, Yemen appointed its representative to Ankara and in 1928 the Turkish government appointed political representative to Yemen. Turkey recognized the Arab Republic of Yemen in 1970. In 1984, Turkish Doghosh Company signed an agreement with Yemeni government to carry out project of rebuilding Marib Historical Dam with fund by the deceased Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahyan, ex-President of United Arab Emirates. AH/AM Saba