Turkey will continue to stand by people of Sri Lanka in good times as well as bad times, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu said yesterday.
The visiting Turkish Foreign Minister said so speaking to the media following his meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. He also expressed Turkey’s condolences over the loss of life due to recent floods in Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka has lent a helping hand to Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Turkey. This is very much appreciated as meaningful and symbolic.” “Turkey stands by the people of Sri Lanka in the time of natural disaster,” he said and added, “I reiterate that Turkey will continue to stand by the people of Sri Lanka in good times and bad times.”
Çavusoglu said the government of Turkey has agreed to increase its economic relations and cooperation with Sri Lanka.
“We have decided to increase our cooperation in the fields of energy, security, culture, health, tourism and agriculture,” he said.
“Sri Lanka is located in a very strategic geological position. Therefore the security and the stability of Sri Lanka is very important for this region and to us all,” he said.
“I hope that my visit will open a new page in Sri Lanka-Turkey bilateral relations,” he said and added Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also willing to pay a state visit to Sri Lanka within this year.
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