Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Belarus has been postponed indefinitely, Natallya Eysmant, spokesperson for the Belarusian president, told BelaPAN on Monday.
Mr. Erdogan was expected to visit Belarus at the end of this week. The visit was no officially announced, but the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry reported last week that a Belarusian-Turkish business forum would be held in Minsk on July 29 "within the framework of Turkish President Erdogan's visit to the Republic of Belarus."
A spokesperson for the Turkish embassy in Minsk confirmed that Mr. Erdogan was expected to pay a visit to Belarus and said that the embassy was not aware of any plans to cancel it because of the failed coup attempt in Turkey.
"Preparations for the visit were made and will continue to be made, but it will surely not take place this week," Ms. Eysmant said, adding that it was unclear when the president of Turkey would visit Belarus, but the visit would certainly take place soon.
Mr. Erdogan and Alyaksandr Lukashenka was expected to inaugurate a mosque in Minsk on July 29, but an imam told BelaPAN on Monday that the inauguration has been postponed to September.
Kezban Nilvana Darama, the Turkish ambassador to Belarus, met with Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Alena Kupchyna on Monday.
Mses. Kupchyna and Darama discussed pressing issues concerning bilateral relations, reported the press office of the Belarusian foreign ministry.
