Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to go on a five-day official visit to four African countries starting Monday, Feb. 26.
According to a statement released by the president’s office, Erdogan will hold talks with his counterparts in Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal and Mali in one-on-one and inter-delegation meetings.
The leaders are expected to discuss regional and global developments, bilateral relations and cooperation.
Business forums in Algeria and Senegal will also be held as part of the visits, the statement said.
Algeria: Ankara will propose the strengthening of relations with Algeria in several areas, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.
“During my visit to Algeria, we expect our relations to gain momentum. We will propose deepening cooperation between our countries in the areas of politics, the economy, culture, tourism, energy, and security,” Erdogan told Algerian daily Al-shorouk newspaper before his visit to the country, set to start tonight.
Erdogan said Turkey trusts the Algerian economy, adding: “That’s why around 1,000 Turkish companies are doing business in the country.”
He added that Turkish firms are some of the biggest investors in Algeria.
Erdogan added that if Algeria fears economic problems due to falling oil prices, Turkey is ready to help with this problem.
He said Algeria’s quota system and the requirement for imports to have permits had hurt bilateral economic ties.
“Ending these measures would contribute a great deal to boosting bilateral trade between our two countries,” Erdogan added.
He also said Turkey has a “flexible” system regarding visas for Algerian citizens.
Erdogan’s visit to Algeria — the first stop in a four-nation African tour — will be the second presidential trip to the country.
Since 2004, Erdogan has paid official visits to 24 African countries and witnessed the signing of numerous bilateral pacts.
