Turkey, RI sign deal

Turkey, RI sign deal

ISTANBUL, Turkey (Reuter): Turkey and Indonesia signed cooperation agreements in technology and aviation on Tuesday at a development conference in Istanbul.

The aviation accord, worth US$2 million, involves the assembly of military aircraft in Turkey using parts from Indonesia.

The conference, attended by delegates from seven developing Moslem countries, was chaired by Turkey's Islamist Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan.

The agreements were signed by Indonesian Minister for Research and Technology b.J. Habibie and Turkish Minister of State Sabri Tekir.

Habibie said the two countries' common Islamic culture was significant in the signing of the deal and added that he hoped cooperation in the field of technology would lift the volume of trade from the current level of $200 million to $2 billion.

Erbakan said in his speech at the conference: "It is only if we unite that we can surmount obstacles faster and more easily. Of course this will be done with those who are closer to us."