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Prime Minister Visits Turkey (Third Day) Thursday, January 12, 2006 JAPANESE Click photographs to enlarge Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, during his visit to the Republic of Turkey, met with Mr. Ali Ozdemir, a former pilot with Turkish Airlines, at a hotel in Istanbul in the morning of January 12 (Japan time: evening of January 12). Mr. Ozdemir was the pilot of the special flight which was dispatched to rescue approximately 250 Japanese nationals living in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran in March 1985 during the Iran-Iraq War, in response to the request of the Government of Japan. Prime Minister Koizumi said, "If you had not agreed to carry out this task, those people may not have been rescued. I am happy to be able to express our appreciation as Prime Minister of Japan." In return, Mr. Ozdemir said, "I am greatly honored. It was my task to rescue the Japanese nationals," and reflected on the events of the time. Afterwards, Prime Minister Koizumi, aboard a ship, observed the zone where a subway line crossing the Bosporus Straits separating Europe and Asia is under development. At the construction site of the underwater railroad tunnel, Prime Minister Koizumi gave his words of encouragement to the Japanese people concerned on the workboat, saying, "I praise the efforts of the people concerned who are working in this difficult environment." In the afternoon, Prime Minister Koizumi visited the old city district of Istanbul, which included visits to the Ayasofya Mosque and Blue Mosque. View Video (Available only in Japanese) Real(Narrowband) / Real(Broadband) Windows Media(Narrowband) / Windows Media(Broadband)