Turkey's Prime Minister in Madrid for Spain summit

Ankara is hopeful on Spain's EU Term-Presidency for speeding up the EU negotiations and the solution of Cyprus issue.

The summit will have a heavy agenda in Madrid. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will also visit Sevilla and Cordoba cities. Prime Minister Erdoğan will be given the "Intercultural Sevilla NODO Award" for his contributions to international peace and security.

Turkey and Spain are also conducting the co-chairmanship of the UN project of the Alliance of Civilizations.

Turkey's biggest expectations from the meeting are EU and Cyprus issues. Spain is one of the countries openly expressing its support to Turkey's EU perspective. In this relationship, Ankara will try to open up as many chapters as possible during Spain's EU term-presidency.

Prime Minister Erdogan will meet with his Spanish counterpart Jose Luis Zapatero. The two leaders will hold a joint news conference following their meeting.

Erdogan is also set to attend a meeting to be hosted by the Nueva Economia Forum as a speaker.

He will be received by King Juan Carlos of Spain.

Later, Prime Minister Erdogan will proceed to Seville to receive the "Seville NODO Prize for Intercultural Dialogue".

Besides his wife Emine Erdogan, State Minister Mehmet Aydin, State Minister & chief negotiator for EU talks Egemen Bagis, State Minister Zafer Caglayan, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Health Minister Recep Akdag, Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, Energy & Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz and Environment & Forestry Minister Veysel Eroglu are accompanying the prime minister.

/World Bulletin/