President Abdullah Gül met with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh at the Çankaya presidential palace in the capital yesterday. 

President Abdullah Gül has thanked Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh for the support Djibouti provided a Turkish frigate fighting with pirates, who hijacked a Turkish ship off the coast of Somalia near the Gulf of Aden last October.
 
Gül and Guelleh held a joint press conference at Çankaya presidential palace after delegations from their two countries met on Friday. Speaking at the press conference, President Gül said Djibouti and Turkey have long historical ties dating back to the Ottoman Empire. Stating that diplomatic ties between the two countries have become stronger recently, Gül said they had discussed issues related to commerce, investment, security and defense in bilateral and multilateral talks. Noting that Turkey appreciated Djibouti's cooperation in its fight against pirates near the Gulf of Aden, Gül said he had thanked Guelleh for Djibouti's support.

Gül also said the port of Djibouti is a gate to the heart of Africa and noted that the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) has conducted many commercial projects in Africa. "TİKA has contributed a lot to the development of Djibouti with its noteworthy projects," he said.

Stating that Djibouti is located in a troublesome region, Guelleh said they organize international meetings in order to contribute to regional peace and stability.

"We have come to Ankara upon an official invitation from our brother, Turkish President Abdullah Gül. We are honored to be here," Guelleh said. "This is our first time visiting Ankara. We have discussed bilateral relations, regional issues and economic cooperation today."

Guelleh also said that while in Turkey, he and the Djiboutian delegation would have meetings with Turkish businessmen and discuss issues pertaining to defense and security.

Noting that he had also discussed recent developments in Palestine with Gül as well as other issues related to global and regional peace, Guelleh said: "We are saddened by the incidents taking place in Palestine. We believe that the resolution of the UN Security Council must be implemented. This tragedy, this disaster must be ended."