[Provisional Translation]

On March 6, commencing from 5:20 p.m. for around 10 minutes, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from H.E. Mr. Ismet YILMAZ, Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Turkey, who is visiting Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. Prime Minister Abe said that Turkey is an important partner to Japan, and that he wants to further strengthen Japan's friendly ties with Turkey, which have continued since the Ertugrul Frigate Disaster. Additionally, Prime Minister Abe welcomed the fact that bilateral cooperation and exchanges between the two countries' defense authorities are moving forward, and said he wants to further enhance exchanges of views between the two countries regarding regional affairs, such as the Syrian issue.
   
   
2. Minister YILMAZ expressed expectation toward further enhancement of bilateral relations, including large-scale projects such as the Bosphorus Rail Tube Crossing (Marmaray) Project, which is being undertaken through a yen loan from Japan, and cooperation between defense authorities.
   
   
3. Additionally, Prime Minister Abe expressed his condolences over the death of the pilot who rescued Japanese citizens from Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war.