ANKARA, AUG 9, SPA -- THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ GRACED HERE LAST NIGHT THE DINNER PARTY HELD IN HIS HONOR BY TURKISH PRESIDENT AHMET NECDET SEZER. SPEAKING ON THE OCCASION, THE TURKISH PRESIDENT SAID THE VISIT OF KING ABDULLAH TO TURKEY COMES AFTER 40 YEARS FROM THE OFFICIAL VISIT EARLIER PAID BY LATE KING FAISAL BIN ABDULAZIZ TO TURKEY. 'YOUR VISIT PROVIDES A CLEAR EVIDENCE FOR THE JOINT POLITICAL WILL FOR FURTHER CEMENTING OUR DEEP-ROOTED BILATERAL RELATIONS', HE SAID ADDING THAT THE VISIT, WHICH COMES AT THE TIME WHEN THE REGION IS PASSING CRITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES, WILL HAVE A GREAT POLITICAL AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN BILATERAL RELATIONS. 'TURKEY AND THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA ARE FRATERNAL AND FRIENDLY COUNTRIES AND THEIR RELATIONS ARE STEADILY FOSTERING AND DEVELOPING', HE NOTED. THE TURKISH PRESIDENT POINTED OUT THAT TERRORISM AND PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTRIBUTE TO UNDERMINING STABILITY AND SECURITY IN THE REGION. HE EXPRESSED SORROW FOR THE FAILURE TO REACH A JUST AND COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS FACING THE REGION FOR MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS. 'THE ARAB-ISRAELI DISPUTE REQUIRES AN URGENT AND DURABLE SOLUTION, AND WE DO FEEL ANXIOUS FOR THE ONGOING CLASHES IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES AND LEBANON', HE SAID. AS REGARDS THE IRAQI PROBLEM, HE NOTED THAT RACIAL AND SECTARIAN STRIFE WILL THREATEN THE FUTURE OF IRAQ. THE TURKISH PRESIDENT UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF JOINT COOPERATION, AND HOPED THAT SECURITY AND STABILITY WOULD PREVAIL IN THE REGION. THE TURKISH PRESIDENT POINTED OUT TO THE UNFAIR ISOLATION IMPOSED ON THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, AND SAID 'WE DO APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT EXTENDED BY LATE KING FAISAL TO THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS DURING HIS VISIT TO TURKEY IN 1966'. HE NOTED THAT THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS WILL BE AWAITING FOR A JUST SETTLEMENT. THE TURKISH PRESIDENT SAID THE VOLUME OF TRADE EXCHANGE BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA AND TURKEY HAS AMOUNTED TO $3 BILLION, AND ADDED 'EVERY YEAR THOUSANDS OF TURKS VISIT THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA FOR PERFORMING HAJJ AND UMRAH (MINOR HAJJ), AND AT THE SAME TIME THE TURKISH PRIVATE SECTOR HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY WORKING IN THE FIELD OF INVESTMENTS' MOREOVER, ABOUT 82,000 TURKS ARE RESIDING IN SAUDI ARABIA, HE SAID. 'TURKEY VIEWS THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AS A FRIENDLY AND FRATERNAL COUNTRY, AND IT IS KEEN ON FURTHER DEVELOPING ITS RELATIONS WITH IT IN ALL DOMAINS', HE SAID AND ADDED 'UNDOUBTEDLY YOUR VISIT WILL CONSTITUTE A BEGINNING FOR A NEW ERA IN OUR RELATIONS, AND WE ARE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT BILATERAL RELATIONS WILL FURTHER BE ENHANCED IN THE FUTURE'.--MORE www.spa.gov.sa/381702