Move towards Turkey is significant strategy, says parliament Speaker
King Hamad receiving Shahin - BNA
Bahrain’s move to broaden cooperation with Turkey is of strategic significance, the speaker of the lower chamber has said.
“Such a strategic decision is very important under the current circumstances and during these critical times. Closer and deeper cooperation will certainly have positive results for both countries,” Khalifa Al Dhahrani said. “We are confident that relations and cooperation between the two countries would steadily increase and parliamentary stances at international forums would be better coordinated,” Al Dhahrani said on Monday evening as Turkey’s Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin wrapped up a three-day visit to Manama.
The Bahraini parliament leader paid tribute to Ankara’s “honourable” positions towards Arab and Islamic issues.
On Monday, King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa said that he fully appreciated Turkey’s drive to achieve peace and stability in the region for the sake of Arab and Muslim countries. Receiving Şahin, King Hamad called for greater coordination between the two countries at bilateral and multilateral levels.
Şahin later said that bilateral relations were improving and that Turkey’s foreign policy was particularly appreciated in the Muslim world.
“Turkey is thinking of improving relations between the parliaments. I believe that visits to Gulf countries will contribute to continuation of relations,” he said.
Şahin signed an agreement for inter-parliamentary cooperation during the visit.
Manama and Ankara have been drawing closer in the wake of a breakthrough visit by King Hamad to Turkey in August 2008.
During his visit to Bahrain last April, Turkish President Abdallah Gul said that Manama and Ankara “shared similar thoughts on world matters and supported each other in the political sphere.”
Bahrain and Turkey officially established diplomatic relations on December 4, 1973.
