Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is expected to arrive in Turkey on Thursday as part of a regional tour, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Japan's top diplomat will be received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

During his three-day visit, Motegi will meet with Çavuşoğlu and other top officials to discuss bilateral relations as well as current regional and international challenges, according to the statement.

The visit comes as a part of Motegi's regional tour, including visits to Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Palestine and Qatar, from Aug. 15-24.

"The peace and stability of the Middle East region are extremely important for the international community including Japan," he told a news conference in the capital Tokyo, which was also broadcast online last week.

Turkey and Japan are close allies and enjoy strong bilateral ties. The friendship dates back to the Ottoman era.

Diplomatic relations began in 1924, and the first Turkish mission in Japan was established in 1925.

Political relations were upgraded to the level of strategic partnership in 2013.