Yesterday's meeting marked the first time Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited his office in Dolmabahçe Palace after having undergone a minor operation just 11 days ago. The People's Republic of China's Vice-President Xi Jinping arrived to Istanbul to meet with Premier Erdoğan yesterday after completing a series of meetings in the capital. Erdoğan and Jinping met one on one first and then later moved on to a meeting with joint committees.

CHINA HAS NUCLEAR ASPIRATIONS IN TURKEY

The inter-committee meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, Minister of Economy Zafer Çağlayan and Minister of Development Cevdet Yılmaz. Ankara ended up making great strides for Turkey's nuclear power in Istanbul during the meeting between Prime Minister Erdoğan and China's Vice-President Xi Jinping.

A consensus was reached during both the one on one and mutual committee meetings held yesterday that prior to engaging in negotiations for China's prospective interest in building a 20 billion dollar nuclear power station in Turkey, an 'Agreement on the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Power' should be signed between the two nations, the draft for which was also discussed yesterday. During yesterday's meetings, it was also decided that the agreement will be signed in April when Erdoğan is scheduled to pay an official trip to China. Turkey, which is in preparations to build a nuclear power station, is signing agreements on the peaceful use of nuclear power with a variety of nations they are conducting nuclear deliberations with and have already signed such treaties with the United States and Russia as well as with a number of neighboring nations. Once the agreement is signed between China and Turkey nuclear negotiations are expected to begin between the two nations.

JINPING RECEIVES A 'HİDO' UNIFORM
Last night; Jinping attended a dinner held in his honor by Istanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu at Ortaköy's famous Feriye Restaurant. At the dinner, Jinping was given the gift of signed National Team and Orlando Magic basketball uniform shirts from NBA and national player Hidayet Türkoğlu.