My dear brother Turkmen President knows Turkish businesspeople more than I do, says President Gul

ISTANBUL (A.A) - March 1, 2012 - Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Thursday that many Turkish businesspeople attended the dinner he hosted in honor of the Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow in Ankara on Wednesday and that he noticed how closely Berdimuhamedow knew the businesspeople. Speaking at the Turkish-Turkmen Business Forum in Istanbul, President Gul said that "my dear brother Turkmen President Berdimuhamedow knows Turkish businesspeople more than I do". "As he was shaking hands with you, I noticed that President Berdimuhamedow knew you better than I did. I know most of you by name and may have seen you once. But President Berdimuhamedow asked each of you how you were doing. And, he spoke to you with your names. To be honest, I thought that he knew you closely. I must admit that I never thought President Berdimuhamedow could know you so closely," Gul said. "I heard that some of you came from the United States and Japan to Turkey and felt proud as a Turkish President. When I asked them if they indeed came from the U.S. or Japan, they replied that they would come to the respectful President from all corners of the world," Gul stressed. President Berdimuhamedow and I are highly pleased to be with the businesspeople of our countries, Gul said. During our talks in Ankara on Wednesday, we affirmed that Turkey and Turkmenistan were two states with one nation, Gul noted. Turkmenistan became independent 20 years ago on February 29. The first country to recognize independent Turkmenistan was the Republic of Turkey, Gul underlined. We are of the same race, religion and culture. We have an history of centuries. As part of a decision taken on Wednesday, a big monument would be erected where the tomb of Alparslan is located, Gul said.