Japan's foreign minister visits Turkey

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono is paying an official visit to Turkey on Thursday at the invitation of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Kono is on a regional trip which has taken him to Oman, Jordan, Palestine and Israel before his touch down in Turkey's capital, Ankara.

Peace and stability in the Middle East are "directly linked to Japan's economy, society and security," Kono said ahead of his arrival in Turkey.

He said Turkey had a significant influence on issues such as security, politics, economy and culture in the region, adding that Japan supported Turkey's efforts to shelter more than three million Syrian refugees.

Kono noted that Japan has provided almost $80 million to support Turkey's work with Syrian refugees, and that Tokyo supports non-military initiatives to resolve the Syrian conflict.

Speaking about the US move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital on December 6, Kono said Tokyo backed a two-state solution.

Japan voted in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution last week, which condemned US President Donald Trump's move on Jerusalem.