Yemen

During President Gül’s fruitful visit to Yemen, visa requirements were lifted mutually, a Turkish Martyrs Memorial was inaugurated and five important agreements as well as a number of promising business deals were signed.

President Abdullah Gül paid a two-day official visit to Yemen upon the invitation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Welcoming Ceremony

Laying a wreath at the Al-Jund-el Mechul Monument, the President proceeded to the Sana’a Republican Palace, where President Saleh of Yemen welcomed him with an official ceremony. The two leaders, having a tete-a-tete at the palace, chaired the talks between their delegations.

Turkish Martyrs Memorial

Turkish Int. School

Al-Ordi Barracks

COOPERATION AGREEMENTS

After the talks between the Turkish and Yemeni delegations during which they agreed to lift the visa requirements mutually, five cooperation agreements were signed between the relevant agencies of the two countries.informing the press that they had tackled both the regional and the international issues concerning the two countries, declared that the present agreements signed between the two countries will be implemented in the best way and that the agreement to lift visa requirements mutually will enable both peoples to visit each other more easily as they did in the past.

Agreements Signed

ROBUST AMICABLE RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND YEMEN

President Gül, delivering a speech at the dinner given by President Saleh of Yemen, pointed to the robust amicable relations between the two countries that were not broken even during the hardships of the Cold War and despite the geographic distance between them.

Underlining the privileged relations between Turkey and Yemen, the President noted: “Our nations have shared the same fate, joys and sorrows in their common history of 400 years. Mutual affection always dominated our relations.”

Official Dinner

TURKISH MARTYRS MEMORIAL IN SANA’A

President Abdullah Gül, on the second day of his schedule in Yemen, received the Yemeni FM, Dr. Abubakr Al-Qırbi and attended the opening ceremony for the Turkish Martyrs Memorial. President Gül delivered a speech at the ceremony during which a well-known Turkish folk song “Yemen Türküsü” was sung by Yemeni girls, by which he was very much impressed, noting that Yemen has a special place in our history. These very songs themselves, he said, prove this very fact, adding that after the First World War broke out, the 7th Corps and the Yemeni soldiers fought against the enemies of the Ottoman Empire.

Inauguration of Turkish Martyrs Memorial

“OUR SOLDIERS’ SAGACITY SET TONGUES WAGGING”

Further calling upon the youth as well during his address, the President maintained: “Read about Yemen in order to understand history, what traces Yemen has left, why and how such folk songs were written. Only then will you find out what difficulties our forefathers went through. Our soldiers’ sagacity and sacrifices here to defend Mecca and Medina set tongues wagging and the Turks left Yemen with great affection and feeling of amity in their hearts. However, these sacrifices were not in vain as neither Mecca nor Medina have ever been invaded.”

JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE

Holding a joint press conference with his Yemeni counterpart, President Gül, informing the press that they had tackled both the regional and the international issues concerning the two countries, declared that the present agreements signed between the two countries will be implemented in the best way and that the agreement to lift visa requirements mutually will enable both peoples to visit each other more easily as they did in the past.

Joint Press Conference

“WE WILL AUGMENT OUR JOINT INVESTMENTS”

President Gül, briefing the audience that he will be addressing the Turkey-Yemen Business Forum, declared that they would enhance their joint investments, reiterating Turkey’s wish to invest especially in energy. He also asserted that they will consolidate the present cooperation between the two countries in health and education.

Turkey-Yemen Business Forum

ALLOCATION OF LAND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORGANIZED INDUSTRY ZONE

President Saleh evinced his pleasure to welcome President Gül to his country and declared his visit to be an important step toward the enhancement of the investments between the two countries.

Promising to allocate the necessary land for Turkish businessmen to construct the organized industry zone and the station for electricity and energy production.

President Saleh further declared that their bilateral and delegational talks were fruitful and predicted that President Gül’s visit will strengthen the relations between Turkey and Yemen.

TURKISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN YEMEN

President Gül also paid a visit to Turkish International School as part of his program in Yemen.

Addressing the students and the administration of the school, President Gül conveyed the good will of the Turkish nation and evinced that he has had great feelings since his arrival in Yemen yesterday. He further shared his happiness to be in this land where both Turkish and Yemeni soldiers wholeheartedly fought to defend it, declaring: “It is the very responsibility falling upon us all to cherish and carry on this unshakable fraternity between Turkey and Yemen!”

Turkish International School

Afterwards, he opened Turkish-Yemeni Vocational High School equipped by Turkey.

Turkish-Yemeni Vocational Highschool

“TURKEY STANDS BY YEMEN”

Attending the Turkey-Yemen Business Forum where he delivered a speech, the President reiterated Turkey’s support for Yemen, to whose political and territorial integrity Turkey attaches great importance, underlining the significance of the enhancement of the economic cooperation between them, declaring Turkey’s support for Yemen in its fight against terror.

JOINT ECONOMIC COMMISSION BETWEEN TURKEY AND YEMEN

The Turkish-Yemeni Friendship Group at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) is carrying out its studies, the President said and he predicted that students who graduate from Turkish-Yemeni Vocational High School opened today will contribute to the industry of Yemen, referring to the joint economic commission between the two countries.

The signing of the agreement on lifting the visa requirements mutually will make way for commercial activities and serve the private sector to invest more in Yemen.

CALLING ON BUSINESSMEN TO INVEST IN YEMEN

Drawing attention to the necessity to enhance the present trade volume between Turkey and Yemen, President Gül stated that the Turkish contractors stand on the top level in the whole world and could carry out huge investments in the energy and construction sectors in Yemen as well. The President also touched on the direct flights of Turkish Airlines and its Yemeni counterpart although there were none in 2005.

VISA REQUIREMENTS LIFTED MUTUALLY

After the forum, the Agreement on Lifting the Visa Requirements Mutually was signed by Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoğlu and Yemeni Interior Minister Mutahhar Rashid Al-Muri. Besides this agreement, the agreements regarding the commerce and trade were signed between the relevant parties.

President Gül later attended a luncheon given by Yemeni PM Ali Mohammad Mujawar.

Al Saleh Mosque