Turkey, Colombia agree to lift visas

Turkey and Colombia on Friday agreed to reciprocally abolish visa requirements in a bid to further boost existing trade ties between the two countries. Speaking at a joint news conference with his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, Turkey's President Abdullah Gul said that they agreed to develop bilateral relations in every sphere, adding that lifting visa requirements is what he described as "one of the best signs" of a will to improve ties. Gul noted that economic relations between the two countries are getting stronger, with the trade volume already surpassing half a billion U.S. dollars. The Turkish president said they also discussed regional affairs during their talks, including Israel-Palestinian conflict. Agreements on foreign trade, military and defense cooperation, tax exemption and investment incentives between the two countries would be completed soon, according to Gul. Calderon said that lifting visa between Turkey and Colombia was a symbol of confidence to each other. Considering Turkey as a very important country for Colombia, Calderon said that opening Colombian Embassy in Ankara and a trade undersecretariat in Istanbul was important. The agreements Colombia and Turkey have reached will bring momentum in the economic relations between the two countries, he added. Noting that Colombia seeks to be a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Calderon said that Turkey would undertake OECD's presidency in 2012 and that Turkey's support of Colombia's membership would be important.