Turkish foreign minister visits Japan

By Tevfik Durul

TOKYO (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has begun an official visit to Japan by meeting representatives of the business and tourism sectors in the country's capital on Wednesday.

Cavusoglu met with a delegation of business representatives under the chairmanship of the chief executive officer of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Kenichiro Yamanishi, in Tokyo.

The Turkish minister later participated in a roundtable meeting with the representatives of travel agencies to develop tourism opportunities between Turkey and Japan.

Cavusoglu also visited the Yunus Emre Institute, Turkey’s nonprofit organization, which promotes the country’s language and culture abroad.

He also visited the Tokyo Mosque and met with representatives of the Turkish and Muslim communities.

Also known as "Tokyo Camii", it was completed in 1938 by a Turkish community from Kazan (Russia), but fell into disrepair. A major reconstruction operation was completed by Turkish architect Muharrem Hilmi Senalp in 2000 with help from the Tokyo Turkish Association.

Cavusoglu's two-day visit is the first trip from the Turkish Foreign Ministry to Japan in 14 years.

The Turkish minister is scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

He is also expected to meet his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and Japan's minister of economy, trade and industry Hiroshige Seko.