Turkish president welcomed in Nigeria with official ceremony

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz

ABUJA, Nigeria (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was welcomed on Wednesday by his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari with an official ceremony at the Presidential Palace in the capital Abuja.

Erdogan, first lady Emine Erdogan, and the Turkish delegation were also welcomed by the honor guard in the ceremony.

Later, the two presidents introduced their delegations to each other.

After one-on-one talks and delegation meetings, Erdogan and Buhari are set hold a joint news conference.

Accompanying President Erdogan is a group of top Turkish officials including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Trade Minister Mehmet Mus, Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesman Omer Celik, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.

Erdogan is also expected to attend an official luncheon given in his honor by Buhari.

The president on Sunday started a four-day tour of three African countries, including Angola, Togo, and Nigeria.

Erdogan's tour, set to end later on Wednesday, is considered significant for new cooperation opportunities in Africa.

The West African country of Nigeria boasts Africa’s biggest economy, with a gross domestic product of some $500 billion, according to estimates.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara