(Zaman) - Saudi King Abdullah will pay a three-day historic visit to Turkey August 8-10, the first time a Saudi king has paid an official visit to the country.
King Abdullah, accompanied by some 400 delegates, including a 45-person team of businessmen, will sign several key agreements, including a military cooperation accord and agreements on duties, trade and transport, reports Trend.
Top Saudi and Turkish officials are scheduled to talk about Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and other regional issues.
King Abdullah will be received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on August 8 in Ankara before meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on August 9 in Istanbul.
Turkey attributes great importance to the visit since it will be a turning point in the relations between Turkey and the Arab world and also a major step forward in bilateral relations between the two countries.
King Abdullah, who came into power in August 2005 following the death of King Fahd, had planned visits to Turkey several times in the past, which were canceled each time. The recent problems in the Middle East, especially those concerning Iraq and Iran, helped Turkey and Saudi Arabia to become closer.
In 1974, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia participated in an international meeting held in Istanbul. However, it was not counted as an official visit. The visit of King Abdullah, if not cancelled once again, will be the first official visit from a Saudi King to Turkey since 1932, when Saudi Arabia was founded.
Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula and holds 25 percent of all oil reserves in the world.
More than 32,000 Saudi businessmen and tourists visited Turkey last year.