'Serbia, Turkey are building bridges of friendship'

Visiting Turkey, Serbian President Vucic meets parliament speaker, touts strong bilateral ties and areas of future co-operation.

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic (C), during a meeting with Ismail Kahraman (R), Turkey’s parliament speaker, May 7 2018.
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President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic (C), during a meeting with Ismail Kahraman (R), Turkey’s parliament speaker, May 7 2018.

The leadership in Ankara has brought Turkey and Serbia closer together, said Serbia’s visiting president on Monday.

"There will be no more burning bridges” in bilateral ties, Aleksandar Vucic said during a meeting with Ismail Kahraman, Turkey’s parliament speaker. “We are building bridges.”

"We have narrowed the distance in relations between our countries via [Turkish President] Recep Tayyip Erdogan's efforts and display of policy of conciliation, we have strengthened and built friendship bridges," he added, on the last day of a two-day visit.

Kahraman welcomed Vucic and his delegation's visit and said, "We truly have a friendship between us."

The duo praised the outstanding relations between Turkey and Serbia, and Vucic said there are many other areas where the two countries could co-operate.

Kahraman also told the Serbian leader about the attack on parliament on the night of July 15, 2016 defeated coup attempt by the Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO).

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup, which killed at least 250 people and injured more than 2,000. 

Earlier, Vucic paid tribute to Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at his mausoleum, Anitkabir.

Vucic is to meet President Erdogan in Ankara this afternoon, followed by a joint news conference at the presidential complex.

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