Turkish, Mauritanian foreign ministers to discuss latest developments in Sahel region, Gaza

By Can Efesoy

ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug on Sunday will discuss the latest developments in the Sahel region and Gaza in Istanbul.

Current developments in the Sahel region, regional issues and the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza would be discussed in the meeting, according to diplomatic sources.

The meeting will also focus on the political and economic issues between the two nations and steps to strengthen and diversify cooperation.

“Mauritania has demonstrated a determined stance towards halting the bloodshed in Gaza since the beginning of the Israeli attacks,” said the sources.

Highlighting the serious security challenges facing the Sahel region and its significant transformation, the sources said that the security environment in the Sahel is of strategic importance not only for the region but also for the entire African continent and beyond.

Calling Mauritania's role a stabilizing factor in the "volatile" Sahel region, the sources stated: "Our country prioritizes the establishment of peace, security, prosperity, and lasting stability in the Sahel region."

-Relations between Türkiye, Mauritania

Drawing attention to the historical ties between Mauritania and Türkiye, the diplomatic sources noted that approximately 30,000 Turkish citizens of Mauritanian origin reside in the Kozan district of southern Turkish province of Adana, with Mauritanians having fought in the forefront during the National Struggle in 1920.

Türkiye’s Embassy in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott was established in 2011, while Mauritania's Embassy in Ankara was opened in 2010, the diplomatic sources said.

The sources further said that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Mauritania on Feb. 28, 2018, marked the first presidential-level visit from Türkiye to Mauritania, noting that this visit gave momentum to bilateral relations.

The sources also stated that Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani visited Türkiye in December 2021 as part of the 3rd Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit.

The commercial relations between the two countries have improved, with bilateral trade volume reaching $174.6 million in 2023, and reaching $53.6 million in the first three months of 2024, the sources said.

Highlighting the presence of approximately 20-25 Turkish fishing vessels operating in the city of Nouadhibou in Mauritania, the sources pointed out that Turkish entrepreneurs have investments of nearly $200 million in Mauritania, according to data from the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry.

*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul