US visit to focus on fight against terror, says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that his Washington, D.C. visit would focus on unity against terrorism.

“During the summit, we will stress the need for a sincere cooperation to fight terrorism in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris, Ankara, Istanbul, Brussels and Lahore,” Erdogan told reporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport before his departure to attend the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., which will take place on March 31 and April 1.

“We have no more patience left to pay the price due to a lack of cooperation,” Erdogan said.

Turkey was hit by several suicide bombings this year, in which dozens lost their lives, both in the Turkish capital Ankara and in Istanbul.

Noting that he will have high-level meetings during his Washington visit, Erdogan said that he would hold bilateral meetings with political leaders as well as with business executives.

He also said that he would inaugurate the Turkish-American Cultural and Civilization Center (Diyanet Center of America) in Lanham, Maryland, which includes a mosque, a cultural center, an Islamic arts museum and a guest house.