Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer arrived in Damascus Wednesday for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening ties between the neighbors. The Turkish president was received at the airport by Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa and then taken to the People's Palace to meet President Bashar Assad. The visit is a follow-up to Assad's trip to Turkey last year, the first by a Syrian head of state and a symbol of improved ties. "I hope that (the visit) will help further develop relations between Syria and Turkey, contribute to peace and stability in the region and strengthen the ties between the two peoples," Sezer said before his departure.
