President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who visited Kuwait to attend the beginning of the construction of the $4.4-billion terminal project by Turkish Limak Holding at the Kuwait Airport, said the company had pledged to finish the construction in four years, two years ahead of schedule.

He said he hoped that with the completion of the airport, it will become a symbol of Turkey's presence in the Gulf region.

"Limak has evident experience in building and managing airports. During our discussions with Kuwaiti officials, we proposed to increase bilateral trade volume to $5 billion from its present level of around $1.5 billion. Both sides agreed to develop business ties in economy, foreign trade in meat and other foodstuff. Ties could also encompass cooperation in the defense industry."

The Kuwaiti prime minister will be visiting Turkey in September, Erdoğan said, adding that senior officials on both sides will be holding meetings to secure further development of business ties.

When asked if the discussions included the recent visit by Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who, as the top general, toppled the democratically-elected president of the country before launching an all-out offensive on the Muslim Brotherhood, Erdoğan said Sissi had never come up.