Turkish president to visit Doha on Friday

Turkish President Suleiman Demirel is going to pay a two-day working visit to Qatar on Friday at the invitation of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani.

Turkish diplomatic sources in Doha said that during the visit, both Turkey and Qatar will endorse an agreement for bilateral political cooperation that includes a mechanism for coordination and consultations between the two countries' foreign ministers on international and regional issues of joint interest.

Meanwhile, the sources said Demirel's talks with the Qatari emir will basically focus on the security situation in the Gulf region in light of the repercussions of the Iraqi crisis, the Turkish role in achieving regional security, reviving the Middle East peace process and upgrading Arab - Turkish relations.

The sources, moreover, said that Demirel will explain to the Qatari emir the horizons of Israeli - Turkish relations and the reasons behind the arrest of Kurdistani Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.

They will also tackle the activation of economic cooperation between the two countries.