Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to grace Government Communication Forum 2013 as guest of honour

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, GCF 2013 will be held from February 24-25, 2013 at the Expo Center in Sharjah under the theme "Effective Communication.. Unified Message."

The announcement came during a meeting between His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre; His Excellency Ş. Vural Altay, Turkish Ambassador to the UAE; Her Excellency Elif Ҫomoğlu Űlgen, Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in Dubai; His Excellency Mohammed Al Zaabi, General Manager of the Protocol and Hospitality Department Sharjah; His Excellency A. Harun Özdikiş, Vice Consul of the Republic of Turkey in Dubai; and Osama Samra, Director of Sharjah Media Centre.

During the meeting, His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi received the official confirmation of attendance from Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The distinguished participants collaborated on ways to promote cooperation between the Centre and Turkey. The agenda for the visit of Erdoğan was also examined in addition to topics of mutual significance.

His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi said: "We are grateful to welcome the Turkish Prime Minister as the guest of honor at the Sharjah Government Communication Forum 2013. His presence and participation will undoubtedly enrich the event's agenda and promote its status globally in the area of government communication. This visit carries added significance given the Turkish Prime Minister's unique approach to government communication - which is based on engaging the Turkish people in all decisions related to growth and in accordance with the highest standards of transparency and openness. We find this truly inspiring."

He added: "Through GCF 2013, we will seek to highlight the Turkish experience in government communication for the benefit of all, given the quantum leap the country has achieved in various aspects of development. These achievements encouraged us to invite senior Turkish officials to share their extensive experiences and examine the mechanisms of replicating their models in the field of government communication into the region."

His Excellency Ş. Vural Altay, Turkish Ambassador to the UAE, reiterated the importance of the Government Communication Forum in the emirate of Sharjah, and commended its objectives to develop the mechanisms of government communication in the region at large.

He added that the event is poised to play a key role in achieving further progress and development, in addition to promoting transparency and openness in the methods of communication between governments and the public.

Expressing pleasure over the forthcoming visit of the Turkish Prime Minister to the emirate of Sharjah for the first time His Excellency Altay referred to the excellent relations between Republic of Turkey and the UAE in all spheres and added that the visit will underline the depth and importance of the ties shared between Sharjah and Turkey on multiple levels.

Erdoğan started his prominent career in politics by first becoming Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 until 1998, and has been serving since March 15, 2003 as the Prime Minister of Turkey. He is also Chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which reserves an overwhelming majority in the Turkish Parliament.

After assuming the position of Turkish Prime Minister, he brought political, economic and social stability and security to the country. He normalized Turkish relations with all countries, built stronger cooperation bonds and signed agreements on visa-free travel with a number of Arab nations. He also shaped strong political, economic, cultural and social relations with several countries worldwide, which was reflected in Istanbul being chosen as the European cultural capital in 2009.

Erdoğan is known for implementation of strategic reforms within a short period of time for the rapid development of democratization, transparency and prevention of corruption. Interest rates for public borrowings were pulled down, while per capita income grew significantly. Key projects as new dams, housing projects, schools, hospitals and power plants were inaugurated at a fast pace. Foreign observers and Western leaders nicknamed these positive developments as the "Silent Revolution".