Turkish President Erdogan invites Trump

Ankara: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invited US President-elect Donald Trump to visit his country, over the phone.

After returning from a one-day visit to Belarus, Erdogan told journalists that he congratulated Trump over the phone the night he was elected, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

“He will take over the duty of presidency on January 20, 2017. We can meet before this date if possible,” said the Turkish president.

“We would be pleased if Turkey is one of Trump’s first visits abroad,” he said, adding that Trump responded positively.

Erdogan also said that Ankara and the president-elect shared a similar view on Iraq and Syria, including the issue of no-fly zone in Syria.

–IANS