Ankara, Sept 17: Direct air links would commence between India and Turkey from tomorrow, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced today. Turkish Airways will fly from Istanbul to Delhi twice a week, he told reporters at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan here.

Emphasising the need for direct shipping and air links between the two countries, Vajpayee said "travel and tourism between Turkey and India should now increase, enhancing people to people contacts and encouraging better links between our business communities". On the economic front, the Prime Minister said that direct banking channels should also be established at both ends.

"We have invited a delegation from turkey to discuss cooperation in civilian space technologies," he said.

Vajpayee said he has offered that 50 Turkish professionals would be provided scholarships in India as part of technical and economic cooperation programme at a senior professional level. These scholarships would be offered on an annual basis, he said.

Bureau Report