Havana, February 12 (RHC) -– Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly criticized Washington's blockade against Cuba during his one-day official visit to Havana.

"We do not find the sanctions against Cuba to be right, either in terms of humanity or conscience," the Anadolu agency quoted him as saying.

Erdogan said Turkey's trade volume of $28 million with Cuba is a low figure, which was a result of the sanctions. He also said Turkish Airlines is ready to launch flights between Havana and Istanbul, saying that he believed “a much more positive process will develop with Latin American countries following the flights.”

Cuba is the second stop on Erdogan's regional tour, the first by a Turkish leader since 1995. His trip began in Colombia and will conclude in Mexico.

Before the start of his Latin American trip, Turkish media reported that Erdogan was ready to explore with Cuban authorities the possibility of increasing bilateral trade in the areas of agriculture, biotechnology, medical services and transportation.