12 February 2017•Update: 13 February 2017
By Enes Kaplan and Ramazan Turgut
MANAMA, Bahrain
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late Sunday his country would cooperate with Bahrain for the "stability, peace, and future of the region”.
Erdogan’s remarks were delivered in the capital of Manama during the first leg of a four-day, three-nation Gulf tour.
The Turkish president was honored by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa with the medal of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa during a ceremony.
"I receive this medal as a sign of the brotherhood between Turkey and Bahrain peoples," Erdogan said.
Hamad said he was "honored" to give Erdogan the medal for his "efforts on protecting humanitarian values" and "contributing to the Islamic ummah”.
The king said Erdogan's visit will highlight the "brotherly and rooted relations” between the two nations.
Erdogan and Hamad had a private meeting in addition to committee meetings in which the two countries signed deals on education, economy, energy and defense.
An agreement was also signed to mutually remove visa fees for regular passport holders.
Erdogan's visit is part of Turkey’s drive to forge economic ties with Gulf nations, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
