Turkey and Colombia scrap visa requirements

The presidents of Colombia and Turkey said Friday their governments would scrap visa requirements for travel between the two countries as a sign of trust and improved bilateral relations. Colombia's Juan Manuel Santos and Abdullah Gul of Turkey made the announcement at a joint press conference, the Anatolia news agency reported. "We decided with Mr. Gul to eliminate visas... This is a very important and symbolic step showing our trust in each other," Santos said. Gul countered that the two leaders had "decided to develop our bilateral relations in any field", adding that they both agreed to lift visas requirements. Colombia and Turkey also plan to finalise trade and defence deals, Gul said. Santos is the first Colombian president to visit Turkey.