New Delhi, May 9 (IANS): Indian and Turkish officials met here under the institutional mechanism of Foreign Office Consultations, an official release said on Wednesday.

An External Affairs Ministry release said that Turkey's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Sedat Onal, who is on a three-day visit to India, met Gitesh A Sarma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry, and held cordial discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties including examining opportunities for enhancing trade and investment relations.

Bilateral trade at present stands at around $8.6 billion with a target of $10 billion by 2020.

Other aspects such as enhanced cultural interaction, tourism, and people-to-people contacts were also discussed. The two sides reviewed current situation in their respective regions and also exchanged views on several multilateral issues.

The release said that India and Turkey enjoy close, friendly and deep rooted ties dating back to several centuries and share civilizational links.

Onal had earlier visited India as part of the delegation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May 2017.