Turkey, Croatia agree to strengthen cooperation: President Erdoğan

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Turkey and Croatia have agreed to further strengthen their bilateral cooperation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Jan. 9.

“We agreed to further reinforce the cooperation between Turkey and Croatia in the international arena,” Erdoğan said at a joint news conference with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in Ankara.

Erdoğan said they discussed both bilateral relations in economy, trade, culture and politics, as well as regional and international issues, including Syria and Iraq.

“We also discussed in detail the fight against terrorism with the [Croatian] president,” he said.

Turkey will continue to “root out” the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, in the Balkans, the president said.

“I thank them for [showing] their sensitivity in this regard,” he added.

Erdoğan believed the “fruitful and successful” meeting with Kitarovic will accelerate relations.

Kitarovic, for her part, said her one-day visit to Ankara was “vital.”

“We have no problems, but of course we can further enhance our relations,” she said.

Kitarovic said she believes it is possible to increase the bilateral trade volume to $1 billion.