HAVANA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the U.S. sanctions on Cuba were not right in a sense of conscientiousness, during his visit to the Caribbean country.
"We do not find sanctions over Cuba right in both humane and conscientious sense," he told reporters, after meeting with his counterpart Raul Castro.
The U.S. and Cuba have decided to restore relations after five decades of severed ties by opening embassies and swapping prisoners last December.
Cuba is the second stop of Erdogan's Latin America tour after Columbia, a tour he is taking to boost business and cultural ties. He will head to Mexico for his last destination.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci, Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Mehdi Eker and Culture Minister Omer Celik are part of the Turkish delegation.
Erdogan said a trade volume of $28 million with Cuba is a low figure, which was a result of the sanctions.
He also said Turkish Airlines, the country's flag carrier airlines, is ready to launch flights among Mexico City, Havana and Istanbul.
"I believe a much more positive process will develop with Latin countries, following the flights," said Erdogan.
Turkey seeks to build a mosque in Cuba's capital on its own as soon as a deal is settled between the officials.
Erdogan told of an Ottoman-style mosque project in Havana. However, Cuban officials had already made an agreement with Saudi Arabia for a mosque construction in Havana.
"We have told them that we could build a similar one to Ortakoy Mosque in another city, if you have promised to others for Havana," said Erdogan, adding that Turkey's religious affairs directorate will follow the process.
Ortakoy Mosque, located near Istanbul strait at popular district, has a 19th century Ottoman style architecture.
www.aa.com.tr/en
