President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a keynote address at the 4th Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum held at the Istanbul Congress Center. Emphasizing Türkiye's commitment to fostering equal partnership, President Erdoğan highlighted the strengthening relations between Türkiye and Africa across various sectors, such as trade, investments, culture, and education.
Expressing optimism about the future, President Erdoğan stated, "We are pleased to witness the continuous development of our relations with Africa in all areas. We believe that the establishment of a free trade zone encompassing the African continent will create significant prospects for investment and trade in the near future."
President Erdoğan underscored Türkiye's strategy aimed at enhancing trade and economic ties with Africa, which was commenced in 2003, and highlighted the declaration of 2005 as the "Year of Africa" in Türkiye, marking a new chapter in the bilateral relationships. "Through the three Türkiye-Africa Partnership Forums we have organized, we have clearly demonstrated the great importance we attach to cooperation with the African continent," President Erdoğan noted.
Additionally, President Erdoğan highlighted the role of Turkish Airlines, flying to 41 countries and 62 destinations on the continent, fostering connections between Africa and the world.
President Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye's capabilities in advanced technologies, stating that, "Türkiye ranks among the top three countries worldwide in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles. We are taking the momentum gained with Akıncı to the next level with Kızılelma. Additionally, we possess the expertise to design, develop, build, and maintain our own warships, positioning us among the ten countries with this capability. We stand ready to share our experiences in these fields with our African brothers and sisters, with the motto that peace and security are fundamental prerequisites for development."
President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye has increased the number of its embassies in Africa to 44. “We are proud to be hosting 38 African embassies in Ankara. The number of our commercial counsellors will reach 31. We have established business councils with 48 countries. The number of countries with which we have agreements on the bilateral promotion and protection of investments has increased to 32. We are glad to see that our relations with Africa in every area from trade to investments to culture and education are strengthening day by day. We are of the opinion that the African continent's free trade zone will offer major opportunities for trade and investments in the days ahead," President Erdoğan said.