President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to strengthening ties with African nations on the basis of equal partnership, mutual respect and shared gains, while pledging expanded cooperation with Niger in security, defense, trade, education and development.
“Türkiye views its engagement with Africa as a long-term partnership extending beyond economic relations,” Erdoğan said during a joint press conference with Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tchiani in Ankara.
“We continue to develop our relations with African countries on the basis of equal partnership, mutual respect and win-win principles,” Erdoğan said, adding that cooperation spans a broad range of fields, including security, education, culture and transportation.
The president emphasized Türkiye’s support for countries in Africa’s Sahel region in their fight against terrorist groups, noting that Ankara is prepared to share its expertise with Niger in military training and intelligence cooperation.
Erdoğan said discussions with Tchiani focused on defense industries, security, energy, mining, trade, investment, education, health care and agriculture. The two sides also reviewed investment opportunities in Niger and agreed to deepen economic cooperation.
Several agreements were signed following the talks, including accords on higher education, diplomacy training, health care cooperation and the establishment of a Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO).
Highlighting Türkiye’s development efforts in Niger, Erdoğan pointed to the Türkiye-Niger Friendship Hospital and projects carried out by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in irrigation, agriculture, livestock and infrastructure development.
He also praised educational cooperation between the two countries, noting that the Turkish Maarif Foundation currently educates more than 1,700 students in 12 schools in Niger, while nearly 500 Nigerien students, including around 300 scholarship recipients, are pursuing higher education in Türkiye.
