Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, has said President Bola Tinubu’s recent state visit to Ankara, the Turkish capital, from Jan. 27 to 28, was a milestone in Nigeria-Türkiye relations.

He sated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said the visit marked a new era for the deepening of bilateral relations, and also demonstrated the strong will of both countries to further advance relations across different fields.

Poroy said the visit also marked the first bilateral presidential visit from Nigeria to Türkiye in the last nine years, and the first since Türkiye’s President Recep Erdoğan visited Nigeria in 2021.

“It is very important as it constitutes President Tinubu’s first visit to our country. During the visit, nine agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed in areas of security, education, trade, media, halal accreditation, population and diaspora policies.

“It was also confirmed in the meetings that both sides share a common desire to implement them swiftly and effectively in a manner that benefits both parties,” he said.

The ambassador disclosed that during the meetings, held under the chairmanship of the two presidents, the ways to further deepen close cooperation across different areas were discussed.

He added that cooperation in the fields of security and the fight against terrorism was given particular emphasis.

The Turkish envoy said Türkiye’s readiness to provide all necessary support to Nigeria in its fight against terrorism was also expressed at the highest level.

“It can be said that we have entered into a new period of closer cooperation in the field of military collaboration, as relevant ministers discussed concrete steps that could be taken together in this field.

“We foresee that our productive cooperation in the field of defence industry will continue to grow, through joint local production facilities, in addition to the supply of critical defence systems,” he said.

The envoy said that in the commercial sphere, a bilateral trade volume target of $5 billion, which was initially set during Erdoğan’s visit to Nigeria in 2021, was reaffirmed.

He said that the details of what needed to be done to reach the trade volume target was also discussed.

“The most important development in this regard was the signing of the Joint Declaration establishing the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO). Once this Committee becomes operational, obstacles hindering the advancement of our trade and mutual investments will be addressed institutionally and effective solutions will be produced,” he said.

He said that three separate agreements in the field of education were also signed during the visit, indicating the desire to intensify cooperation in education, going forward.

“We consider the approximately 3,500 Nigerian students studying in our country as an important factor that strengthens our bonds of friendship,” he said.

Poroy also highlighted the agreement signed between the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Diplomacy Academy and the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Foreign Service Academy.

According to him, by this development, it will become easier for young diplomats from Nigeria to participate in training programmes in Türkiye, and vice versa.

“It was also agreed that information and experience would be exchanged, and cooperation enhanced in the field of diaspora between our countries, both of which have sizeable diaspora populations. Therefore, these agreements can also be seen as important investments in the future of our diplomatic relations,” he added.

According to him, Türkiye has a special interest in Nigeria because the two countries are confronted with similar existential challenges in the fight against terrorism.

He said Türkiye successfully fought various terrorist organisations over the years, gaining significant experience, which it was now willing to share with Nigeria, alongside its capabilities and resources.

He observed that Nigeria’s success in the fight against terrorism would be crucial to the stability of the entire West African sub-region, and Africa as a whole.

“What makes Nigeria very special, from our perspective, is that our countries face similar challenges. We have fought various terrorist organisations for years and gained significant experience and success. Nigeria is also fighting several terrorist organisations, primarily Boko Haram and ISWAP. Therefore, we want to support Nigeria in this area by sharing our experience, capabilities, and resources,” he said.

Poroy also disclosed that Türkiye has developed its defence industry to counter sources of insecurity in the country and the surrounding region.

This, he said, helped Türkiye’s armed forces to eliminate terrorism threat, adding that such can be replicated in Nigeria through the close cooperation between the two countries in terms of defence industry.

“We are working with our Nigerian counterparts to deepen military cooperation in this regard, as our president had expressed that we stand by Nigeria in its fight against terrorism. In addition to providing military equipment and critical systems, our companies also work with Nigerian authorities for joint local production of equipment in Nigeria,” Poroy said.

He said Türkiye was also attracted to Nigeria due to its significant status as West Africa’s biggest economy, and Africa’s fourth largest economy, which no nation can take for granted.

The ambassador said Nigeria was also of strategic importance to Türkiye because of its high population of more than 230 million, with great economic potential, and a compelling need to expand economic cooperation.

“As the biggest country in the continent, Türkiye sees Nigeria as an important strategic partner. Today, we continue to view Nigeria as an important, strategic partner,” he stressed.

The Turkish envoy recalled that his country’s relationship with Nigeria dated back to the 16th century, during the contacts between the Ottoman Empire and the Kanem-Bornu Empire.

“Our opening of an Embassy here on November 9, 1960, immediately after Nigeria gained independence, reflects the importance we have attached to our relations with Nigeria in the past,” he said.

(NAN)