President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday said that Iran and Turkey are two powerful nations in the region with friendly and constructive ties.
He made the remarks prior to leave here for Istanbul, Turkey, on a two-day official visit.
Speaking to reporters at the Mehrabad International Airport, the president said, Iran-Turkey relations gained a momentum after the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.
President Ahmadinejad referred to Iran and Turkey as two major ancient civilizations.
Noting that his visit is taking place upon an official invitation of Turkey`s President Abdullah Gul, President Ahmadinejad said during his two-day stay in Turkey, he would exchange views with President Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on major regional, bilateral and international developments.
Iran-Turkey cultural, economic and political relations as well as security issues were among major topics to be discussed by the two sides, said the president.
later in the, he left Tehran for Istanbul heading a high-ranking delegations which consisted of Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as well as Minister of Energy Parviz Fattah, Oil Minister Gholam-Hossein Nozari and Head of Organization of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei.
This is the first time that President Ahmadinejad visits Turkey since he took office in 2005.
In addition to have separate meetings with senior Turkish officials, President Ahmadinejad is also expected to meet a group of Turkish elites, writers, media staff and businessmen as well as a number of Iranians residing in Turkey.
Several agreements are also expected to be signed by Iranian and Turkish officials during the visit.