Conference devoted to Turkey-Arab ties begins in Kuwait

By Mohamed Abdul-Ghaffar

KUWAIT CITY (AA) - A conference devoted to Turkish-Arab relations kicked off in Kuwait on Wednesday attended by a host of Arab and Turkish officials.

The two-day meeting is intended to discuss means of enhancing relations between Turkey and Arab states and promote strategic partnerships between the two sides.

"Turkey enjoys a distinguished position in Arab society," Kuwaiti Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Abdullah al-Mubarak told attendees.

Arab-Turkish ties, he asserted, were currently making “remarkable progress”, especially in the economic arena.

The minister went on to attribute improving relations to “recent political rapprochement between Turkey and the Arab world".

Turkish Ambassador to Kuwait Murat Tamer, who also attended the conference, noted that the annual volume of Kuwait-Turkey trade currently stands at some $3 billion.

"And we hope this figure will rise in years ahead," Tamer said, stressing that Turkey was keen to create a “favorable atmosphere” for Kuwaiti investors and enhance its relations with the Arab world.

“The Arabs and Turks are both regional heavyweights,” he said. “There have been frequent attempts to drive wedges between us, but these have failed due to our solid relations."