The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, pays tribute to the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, by placing wreaths at his mausoleum in Ankara on Thursday.— PID photo

Leaders of Bangladesh and Turkey on Thursday appreciated each other’s steps to thwart any unconstitutional move to take over power, agreeing that democracy is a sine qua non for development of any country.
The Turkish president, Abdullah Gul, during a meeting with the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, at the Presidential Palace in Ankara Thursday afternoon, said he had taken steps to block the way for any unconstitutional government taking over power in Ankara.
In response, the prime minister said her government through the 15th amendment of the constitution made such act illegal and punishable so democracy could not be impeded.
‘My party and I have struggled for a long time for democracy and we have taken steps so that democratic rule is not hampered,’ she said, admiring president Gul for his leadership in strengthening democracy and discouraging unconstitutional takeover in Turkey.
Briefing reporters, PM’s press secretary Abdul Kalam Azad said president Gul appreciated the progresses made by Bangladesh in different sectors under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.
Recalling his visit to Dhaka in February 2010, the Turkish president said it was a fruitful visit. He hoped that the bilateral cooperation between Dhaka and Ankara would be strengthened in the future.
President Gul said Turkey was willing to invest in the power sector of Bangladesh.
On bilateral trade, Hasina said Turkey might remove duties imposed last July on the import of Bangladeshi apparel reducing the Bangladeshi export to Turkey by 20 per cent in the last eight months.
She said: ‘We may not reach our trade target of  $3 billion by 2015 as agreed by the two countries during the Turkish prime minister’s visit to Dhaka in November 2010.
The prime minister stressed more Turkish investment in Bangladesh.
She thanked president Gul for financing the construction of 500 community clinics in Bangladesh.
Hasina described the Bangladesh-Turkey relationship as historic saying that Turkish father of the nation Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is immensely popular in Bangladesh.
Later, the prime minister called on Turkish National Assembly speaker Cemil Cicek at the Turkish Parliament and expressed satisfaction over the excellent relations between the two brotherly countries.
Hasina said Bangladesh attached importance to the relations with Turkey and invited the Turkish National Assembly speaker to visit Bangladesh.