Turkey, Jordan sign bilateral agreements in PM Davutoğlu's visit to Amman


During a brief visit to the capital of Jordan, Prime Minister Davutoğlu signed 10 bilateral agreements with Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Sunday.The agreements are related to economy and trade, social security, job creation and air transport.Davutoğlu is also scheduled to meet with King Abdullah II to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments. The prime minister will also address the Turkish-Jordanian business forum and attend the opening ceremony of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency's (TİKA) new office in Amman.Davutoğlu's visit to Jordan – his first as prime minister – also saw the signing of a cooperation agreement between Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) and the Jordan News Agency (Petra).The deal was signed by AA Deputy Director-General and Editor-in-Chief Metin Mutanoğlu and Petra Director-General Faisal al-Shboul.ANKARA AGREES THAT RIFT WITH RUSSIA ONLY TEMPORARYCommenting on a recent statement by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova that called the rift between Turkey and Russia "temporary," Prime Minister Davutoğlu said Ankara also shares the same belief. "We have always stressed that [the recent rift] is not a result of a permanent and rooted animosity but a temporary situation," he said.The prime minister said Zakharova's statement was positively received in Ankara. "I would like to stress that we believe Turkey and Russia have to develop good relations," he added.The two countries have distanced themselves from each other since Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet in late November of last year. Even though Russia repeatedly accused Turkey of downing the jet deliberately, Turkey provided evidence that it had strayed into Turkish airspace. The U.S., NATO and the EU voiced support for Ankara on the issue and urged Russia to respect Turkey's territorial rights.