Turkey wants lasting peace on Korean Peninsula, Erdoğan says ahead of Seoul visit

Turkey desires "lasting peace" on the Korean Peninsula, the president said on Sunday, in the wake of a landmark summit between the two Koreas.

Speaking to reporters at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul prior to his departure to Uzbekistan, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "Our visit coincides with a very meaningful period."

On Friday, the leaders of North and South Korea agreed on "complete denuclearization" and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

On the invitation of his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in, Erdoğan will be in Seoul on May 2-3 following his visit to Uzbekistan.

"We desire that talks [between the two Koreas] conducted on nuclear disarmament result in success," he said.

"We, especially desire lasting peace, which the Korean Peninsula has longed for since decades. During my visit, we will exchange views in order to enhance our cooperation. We will discuss bilateral relations as well as regional and international matters," Erdoğan added.

During his stay, Erdoğan will visit the National Assembly of South Korea and meet Chung Sye-Kyun, speaker of the National Assembly. The Turkish president will also hold talks with officials of a number of leading Korean companies.
Erdoğan will meet his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the capital Tashkent on Monday during his three-day official visit.

He will later address the Uzbek parliament and attend Turkey-Uzbekistan Business Forum along with Mirziyoyev.

"We will regain the momentum that we lost for so many years. That's why we will be visiting Uzbekistan with a large delegation of businessmen," Erdoğan said.

On Tuesday, Erdoğan will visit the historic city of Bukhara where he plans to establish two Islamic institutes.

"We are aiming to set up an institute there on behalf of Imam Bukhari [Islamic scholar who was born in Bukhara, Uzbekistan]," he said.​

Erdoğan said they want to establish another institute in the city related to Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, an Islamic scholar, who is the founder of a major Sunni school of thought, the Maturidite.