Couchepin is set to meet his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul later on Friday and attend a dinner to be hosted in his honor at Cankaya Presidential Residence.

The Swiss president will meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Deniz Baykal, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party, on Tuesday.

Couchepin is the first Swiss president ever to pay a formal visit to Turkey.


AA