President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral ties during a joint press conference held in Ankara following high-level meetings between Turkish and Senegalese delegations.

President Erdoğan welcomed Prime Minister Sonko and his delegation with warm remarks, describing Senegal as a “friendly and brotherly country” playing a pivotal role on the African continent. The Turkish leader emphasized that Ankara and Dakar are working to further strengthen cooperation across a wide array of sectors, including investment, trade, defense industry, counterterrorism, energy, mining, transportation, agriculture, and fisheries.

“During today’s discussions, we evaluated concrete opportunities for enhanced cooperation,” Erdoğan said. “We also further consolidated the contractual basis of our partnership with the documents we have just signed.”

The Turkish President underscored the strong economic and commercial ties between the two nations, noting that nearly 100 Turkish companies are currently operating in Senegal. These firms have invested and undertaken projects totaling nearly $3 billion. Erdoğan expressed his ambition to increase bilateral trade volume to $1 billion in the initial phase, with a view to supporting Senegal’s long-term development goals, including the National Transformation Agenda “Senegal 2050.”

“Our companies have successfully completed numerous strategic projects that align with Senegal’s development vision,” he noted. “We are ready to share our expertise and support Senegal's growth further.”

The leaders also discussed joint efforts in the fields of security, defense, and counterterrorism. President Erdoğan welcomed Senegal’s interest in Turkish defense products and affirmed Türkiye’s readiness to deepen military-industrial cooperation.

“We are pleased about the growing interest in Turkish defense technologies from our African brothers,” Erdoğan stated. “This solidarity will grow stronger in the coming period.”

He also thanked Senegal for its continued support in Türkiye’s fight against FETO (Fetullah Terrorist Organization), calling it a symbol of trust and solidarity between the two nations.

A significant part of the joint address focused on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. President Erdoğan praised Senegal’s consistent and vocal support for the Palestinian people, calling its position “an example to many countries.”

“Senegal has never turned its back on its Palestinian brothers and sisters,” Erdoğan affirmed. “Their solidarity and principled stance at the United Nations and other platforms deserves the highest appreciation.”

He noted Senegal’s historic role as the chair of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People since 1975, highlighting the two countries’ shared commitment to defending oppressed nations on global platforms.

“We will continue to raise our voice until the genocide in Gaza ends, and those who starve innocent children to death are held accountable—before both the law and history,” Erdoğan concluded.

The high-level visit marks a continued deepening of the strategic partnership between Türkiye and Senegal, following the establishment of a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council during President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s visit to Ankara in October 2024.

Both sides expressed optimism for greater bilateral engagement in the months ahead, particularly with the upcoming BRICS-related and OIC meetings, where shared interests in regional diplomacy, trade justice, and defense cooperation are expected to take center stage. (ILKHA)