UPDATES WITH MORE QUOTES BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER, ADDS REMARKS BY ALGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
By Gozde Bayar
ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye has put great efforts into boosting investments in the North African nation of Algeria, where the authorities provide all kinds of cooperation, said the country’s foreign minister on Thursday.
"We have a great effort and will to increase Turkish investments. Algerian authorities are also showing all kinds of cooperation in this regard. We are working on opening a branch of (Turkish) Ziraat Bank (in Algeria), especially for the solution of financial and related problems,” Hakan Fidan told a joint news conference in the capital Ankara with his visiting Algerian counterpart, Ahmed Attaf.
Fidan and Attaf co-chaired the second meeting of the Joint Planning Group, formed to follow up on outcomes of the Türkiye-Algeria High-Level Cooperation Council held in Türkiye in 2022.
Fidan said they had a very "fruitful meeting" and mutually reviewed cooperative work in all areas of state, business, and social life.
He also said they discussed regional cooperation issues, bilateral cooperation, and how to make positive contributions in solving problems in Africa.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a visit to Algeria in the upcoming months, Fidan added.
- Türkiye has ‘no intention of colonization’ in Africa
On recent coups in Africa, the Turkish foreign minister said: “The series of coups unfortunately caused scenes in recent years that we do not want to see in Africa."
He said the process of being a state and the failure of political systems in Africa, especially in countries that gained independence belatedly, are one of the reasons for the ongoing crisis.
“The second main reason for these political crises is foreign intervention and the methods followed by some imperial powers in their policies regarding African countries, the methods they prefer, and the tools they use. Political crises in Africa are constantly being triggered,” he added.
Fidan said these countries also face the failure of economic development, the inability to solve infrastructure and superstructure problems, and terrorism.
He emphasized that Türkiye has systematically continued its multi-dimensional initiative policy towards Africa, citing that the number of Turkish embassies in Africa has increased from 12 to 46 in the last two decades.
He said that Türkiye first opened embassies, then brought Turkish Airlines, Turkish business people, and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) to the African countries.
Ankara, he said, carries out multidimensional studies to boost cultural and economic life, as well as public capacity in African countries, and its policy is appreciated.
“They see that Türkiye has no intention of colonization or domination. We continue to successfully implement a cooperation model based on voluntary cooperation, which shares the opportunities we have with them, but also creates opportunities for all parties, with all our institutions in Africa,” Fidan explained.
"Recently, there has been cooperation in the defense industry and intelligence agencies, especially to ensure national security,” he said.
” Our relations have reached a strategic level across Africa,” he added.
- Türkiye, Algeria preparing for agreements in various areas
For his part, Attaf said relations between Türkiye and Algeria are developing both politically and economically.
He said there has been a significant progress over the last three years.
Bilateral relations between Algeria and Türkiye have expanded to meet cooperation and partnership opportunities, he added.
The Algerian top diplomat also said that the two countries are close to reach $10 billion trade volume, "in line of the objectives that have been set by the presidents of both countries: Abdelmajid Tebboune and Recep Tayyip Erdogan."
Attaf also said that the value of the Turkish investment in Algeria – more than $6 billion – features Türkiye as the biggest foreign investor, outside the energy sector, in Algeria.
He revealed that both sides are preparing for projects and agreements in the fields of trade, investment, energy, education and culture, which will be signed during the upcoming visit by the Turkish president to Algeria, but did not reveal when the visit will take place.
Politically, the Algerian foreign minister said, the two countries have a consensus over the main regional and international issues.
Attaf is in Türkiye for a three-day visit that started on Wednesday.
*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this story from Ankara