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Ammon News - ISTANBUL (Petra)--Prime Minister Abdullah Esnour held talks in Istanbul with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyeb Erdogan that focused on bilateral ties as well as situation in the region, mainly the Syrian crisis.

At the meeting, which was attended by Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ibrahim Saif, Ensour said Jordan in interested in further boosting relations with Turkey in various fields.

The prime minister pointed to the successful visit of His Majesty King Abdullah II to Turkey last March which gave a strong momentum to Jordanian-Turkish ties.

He highlighted the important role played by Turkey in bringing about security and stability in the Middle East.

Ensour and Erdogan also discussed repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Jordan and Turkey which are hosting thousands of Syrian refugees and stressed the need to boost cooperation and coordination on this issue.

Jordan, he added, filed a petition at the UN Security Council highlighting the "burdens and difficult humanitarian conditions" facing the country due to the increasing number of Syrian refugees in the Kingdom which reached some half a million.

The Turkish prime minister said he is aware of challenges facing Jordan, mainly in the economic field, highlighting the strong ties between the two countries.

He stressed the importance of setting up a higher strategic council between Jordan and Turkey to further boost bilateral ties.

Erdogan added that Turkey is willing to enhance cooperation with Jordan in the security, energy, as well as legal and judicial cooperation fields.