CAIRO: Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a visit to Cairo on Thursday, where he held meetings with the country's military leadership and opposition activists. Gul held talks with the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Defence Minister Mohamed Tantawi, and also with several opposition leaders, including Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and Ayman Nour, head of the liberal al-Ghad Party. Gul also met with the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa. Egypt was the first Arab country Gul visited after being elected in 2007, and the two countries have had a good relationship ever since. Gul is also the first head of state to visit Egypt after former president Hosni Mubarak's resignation last month. Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyib Erdogan, was one of the first international leaders to call on Mubarak to listen to the demands of the people during the eighteen day uprising that led to Mubarak's resignation. Gul expressed his solidarity with Egyptian People during this critical phase and expressed his wishes for a more powerful Egypt. “Egyptians deserve to live in a democratic country where everyone abides by the law,” said Gul in a statement. Turkey has called on Egypt's army to pave the way for a constitutional democracy in Egypt. Turkey's foreign minister described Mubarak's resignation as a historical development for the Arab world and the region. BM
