Turkish parliament speaker meets with Ivorian president

By Ali Kemal Akan

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AA) - Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus met on Monday with Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara in the capital of the West African country.

Kurtulmus is in Abidjan, Ivory Coast where he came to attend the 18th Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Member States and to pay an official visit.

Speaking after a meeting at the Presidential Residence, where Bictogo Adama, head of the National Assembly of Ivory Coast, was also present, Kurtulmus stated that the people of Türkiye and Ivory Coast are friends and brothers, and that Ouattara hosted him and his delegation with feelings of friendship and brotherhood.

Stating that they had the opportunity to discuss issues between Türkiye and Ivory Coast, Kurtulmus said the meeting also looked at developing commercial ties between the two countries, boosting investment areas and opportunities, and what can be done in the fields of culture, education, and tourism.

Kurtulmus said: "During our meeting, we once again emphasized the determination to take the bilateral trade volume of $600 million between the two countries to much higher levels. In addition, the president emphasized the support of our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Türkiye against Israel's aggression in Gaza."

Kurtulmus said that during the meeting, they also shared ideas on how to establish an equitable and fair international system in the world and what can be done together.

Stating that they follow Africa very closely and appreciate the developments in Ivory Coast, an important country in the region, Kurtulmus said: "Türkiye's approach to the African continent is to develop close cooperation with all African people within the framework of the win-win principle."