Gul's visit to Japan will be the first one ever by a Turkish president.

Aside from Mrs. Hayrunnisa Gul, state ministers Kursad Tuzmen and Mehmet Simsek and a large delegation of Turkish businessmen would accompany President Abdullah Gul.

President Gul will meet Emperor Akihito, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, the President of the House of Councillors in Japan Satsuki Eda and Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono in Tokyo. Gul will also attend a meeting of the Turkish-Japanese Business Forum.

Abdullah Gul will proceed to Osaka from Tokyo. He will later visit the city of Kushimoto, where a Turkish frigate "Ertugrul" sank. Gul will attend a ceremony to remember the sailors of Ertugrul in Kushimoto.

Gul visited Japan in 2003 as Turkey's foreign minister.

AA