- Title: Erdogan visits Serbia as Turkey prepares for offensive in Syria
- Date: 7th October 2019
- Summary: ERDOGAN AND VUCIC LISTENING TO NATIONAL ANTHEMS GUARD OF HONOUR PLAYING NATIONAL ANTHEMS CAMERA OPERATOR FILMING VARIOUS OF ERDOGAN AND VUCIC WALKING ON RED CARPET, INSPECTING GUARD OF HONOUR
- Embargoed: 21st October 2019 16:38
- Keywords: Erdogan in Serbia Turkish offensive Syria war northern Syria Erdogan in Balkans
- Location: BELGRADE, SERBIA
- City: BELGRADE, SERBIA
- Country: Serbia
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002B03LS1Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As Turkey plans incursion in north Syria, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan began a two-day visit to Serbia on Monday (October 7) to promote economic cooperation between the two countries.
During his joint news conference with the Serbian president, Erdogan did not comment on the development of the looming Turkish incursion into northern Syria, which is set to reshape the map of the Syrian conflict once again.
Asked about Turkey's increased involvement in the Balkans, Erdogan said Turkey supported the Euro-Atlantic direction of the region and was trying to assist the countries of the region to leave behind their existing problems.
Since 2000, Turkey has been involved in a number of regional initiatives in the Balkans, and its trade with Western Balkan countries has been steadily increasing.
This trend was in part fuelled by disappointment in the region with the EU over its reluctance to more actively pursue enlargement of the bloc, allowing Turkey and Russia to increase their influence in the region.
On Tuesday (October 8), Erdogan will attend a trilateral meeting with officials from Bosnia, Serbia, and Turkey, as well as a cornerstone-laying ceremony for the Serbian section of a future motorway linking Belgrade and Sarajevo, mainly financed by Turkey's Eximbank.
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