Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada will make a two-day visit to Turkey starting Sunday to meet his Turkish counterpart and attend a ceremony to mark the start of a yearlong initiative to introduce Japanese culture there, the Foreign Ministry said.

The visit is aimed at enhancing the partnership between Japan and Turkey, which plays "an important role for peace and stability in the Middle East and Central Asia," it said.

While meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Okada will attend the opening ceremony of the "Japan Year 2010 in Turkey."