During the virtual ceremony of Turkey-African economy, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he does not want the ongoing coronavirus pandemic to affect the relationship of Turkey with Africa.
He added with latest development in the relationship of
both the regions, Turkey aims to raise the trade to $50 million in coming
years. "They (Turkish companies) have so far undertaken nearly $70 billion
(TL 555 billion) worth of projects across the continent. The market value of
these projects has exceeded $6 billion," the president said.
The event was organized by the Trade Ministry and the
African Union along with Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) in an
attempt to give a clearer picture of the relationship between the two regions
and also lay down a foundation on the future aspects.
In the event, Erdogan said that the negativity that has
come with the pandemic should not let the momentum of the relationship between
Africa and Turkey. “We should move our trade volume, which reached $26.2
billion by the end of 2019, to over $50 billion in the next few years,” Erdogan
said.
Though reports have suggested that the trade between the
African countries and Turkey has seen a jump in the last 10 years but many
believe that it is only Ankara that is being benefited out of the trade. Turkey
currently enjoys free trade agreements with five African nations while has
signed agreements with 13 countries to ensure preventing double taxation.
“The third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit we will
organize next year in Turkey will provide us with an important opportunity in
this process,” said the Turkish President.
The President further elaborated the facilities in Turkey
that can be used to benefit the African nations. A lot of African nations are
struggling to make their economy work and with the coronavirus pandemic in
place, even though the whole world is suffering but the certain African nations
are in a terrible state.
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