Ankara to continue to deepen ties with African nations: Official

ANKARA

Turkey's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Dec. 19 that Ankara will continue to deepen its ties with African nations under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

"We are proud to be hosting 16 heads of state from African nations for the 3rd Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit. Our approach to Africa is shaped by our President Erdogan's strong commitment to strengthening our ties with the continent & investing in our common future," Altun said in a tweet.

Altun also conveyed that recently, the president held talks with leaders of Angola, Nigeria, and Togo and discussed a broad range of issues from defense to health matters.

"Our economic investments, educational ties, and cultural exchanges are a testament to our conviction in the promise of the continent," he said.

Altun also said that Turkey will donate 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to African countries while cooperating with them to produce the local Turkish vaccine, TURKOVAC.

"This shows how much we care about the wellbeing of our African brethren beyond political and diplomatic matters," he said.

"President Erdoğan consistently raised the issue of lack of Africa's representation at the UN Security Council despite its 1.3 billion population," he added.