Japan: Turkey's Erdogan receives honorary doctorate

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was awarded on Thursday an honorary doctorate degree by a Japanese university during his visit to the country for the G-20 summit.

Erdogan said he was honored to receive the degree from Mukogawa Women's University.

Japan hosts 80 women's universities, Erdogan noted and said he will also consider and replicate this step in Turkey.

He added that the two countries had stood by each other in both good and bad days, adding that politicians and academics should pass the torch to the coming generations.

He went on to say that 2019 has been announced as the year of Turkish culture in Japan, adding that many events will be organized throughout the year.

The G-20 summit will kick off in the port city of Osaka on Friday.

Erdogan and first lady Emine Erdogan are accompanied by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.