UPDATE - Turkish president to pay return visit to UAE in February

UPDATES WITH MORE QUOTES FROM TURKISH PRESIDENT, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Ahmet Sertan Usul and Mumin Altas

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will pay a return visit to the UAE in February with a large delegation.

Speaking to reporters Sunday on the plane returning from an official visit to Turkmenistan, he hailed Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's recent visit to the Turkish capital.

He said the agreements signed during the visit are cordial steps that will mark a new beginning in relations between Turkey and the UAE.

Erdogan said prior to his visit, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and head of National Intelligence Organization Hakan Fidan will also visit the Gulf state.​​​​​​​ Last week, Cavusoglu announced he will visit Abu Dhabi in December.

"We will take some strong steps. They (UAE) presented a $10 billion investment plan. By putting this investment plan into practice, we will build a very different future," he said.

During Sheikh Mohammed's visit, the UAE announced a $10 billion fund for investments in Turkey, and the two countries signed several cooperation agreements on energy, technology, trade and health.

According to Turkey’s Communications Director Fehrettin Altun, Turkey and the UAE have committed to strengthening their bilateral economic ties and taking advantage of regional cooperation opportunities.

On ties with Israel and Egypt, Erdogan said the appointments of ambassadors will be set on a certain calendar once Turkey decides on the course of relations with the countries.

In some of these countries, steps have been taken at the charge d'affaires level, he said, adding: "There is no ambassador, but there is a charge d'affaires. We will be taking steps gradually ... We will take similar steps with others, just as we have taken with the UAE."

Commenting on the Turkmenistan visit and his meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Erdogan said bilateral relations were addressed.

He said the two countries are keenly devoting efforts to enhance relations especially in areas of energy, transportation, trade, education, security and infrastructure, and have set the target of reaching $5 billion in bilateral trade at the earliest.

Erdogan said that on the sidelines of the 15th ECO summit in Ashgabat, he also held bilateral meetings with counterparts from Iran, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Azerbaijan.

Regarding tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the Turkish president expressed support for "peace in the region."

Saying that he continues communication with his Russian counterpart in this regard, he added: "We hope that this region does not become a region dominated by war. Let this region walk into the future as a region dominated by peace."