Jordan, Turkey to sign a free trade agreement in 2002

The Turkish ambassador in Amman Arjan Ozer has announced that there are negotiations between Jordan and Turkey to sign a free trade agreement between them this year.

In statements to the Jordanian daily " al-Arab al-Youm" ( the Arabs today) the ambassador said that the Jordanian- Turkish economic council will be held in March and that a Turkish delegation will visit al-Aqaba in April and the Jordanian minister of agriculture will be visiting Turkey shortly.

The ambassador described Turkish- Jordanian political relations as almost identical regarding all fields especially concerning the questions of Iraq and Palestine, stressing that his country strongly opposes directing an American strike to Iraq.

He added that his country's policy concerning the foundation of the state of Palestine is clear and is committed to the UN resolutions.

The Turkish ambassador added that his country will not accept " harming " al-Aqsa mosque by Israel and that when Israel decided to have Jerusalem as a capital for it, Turkey withdrew its ambassador from Israel.

The Turkish ambassador said that his country rejects to link terrorism to Islam because Islam is the religion of " peace."