The Turkish president said this while holding talks with Prime Minister (PM) Khaleda Zia on a wide range of issues on the concluding day of Khaleda's three-day visit to Turkey. Khaleda was scheduled to arrive in Dhaka early today.

President Sezer said Turks consider "people of Bangladesh as their brothers" and Turkey would like to see this relations reflected in stronger economic and business cooperation.

During the 45-minute talks, the two leaders stressed the need for enhancing bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, economic, agriculture, education, culture, investment, science and technology.

President Sezer described Khaleda's visit to Turkey as not only timely but also a landmark in the bilateral relations between the countries. The visit, he said, was a manifestation of historic links between the two countries.

Welcoming Khaleda in Turkey, Sezer hoped her three-day visit and talks with top Turkish leaders would be fruitful and useful.

During the meeting, Khaleda recalled her discussions with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the positive outcomes of her talks with him.

The Bangladesh PM said her country would welcome Turkish businessmen and investors to visit Bangladesh and set up joint ventures, and invest in various sectors, including infrastructure development.

She urged Turkey to import more quality Bangladeshi products, including pharmaceuticals, readymade garments, jute, jute goods, leather and leather products, at a competitive prices.

Khaleda reached Istanbul from Ankara after the end of her two-day stay there. On her arrival at the Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul she was received by Governor of Istanbul Muammer Guler.