THE MESSAGE OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY, HIS EXCELLENCY RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN
Today, Africa is undoubtedly at the center of global attention. It has taken charge of its destiny. A great majority of African leaders have committed themselves to making the 21st century the century of Africa’s Renaissance. In her chosen path of renaissance and transformation, Africa will have the support of all its friends and partners.
The Turkish Government has taken several initiatives regarding Africa. We have been implementing an “Opening up to Africa Policy” since 1998. We have declared the year 2005 as the “Year of Africa” in Turkey, and increased our cooperation. Our trade volume with African countries, which was only 5 billion dollars in 2003, increased more than two fold and exceeded 12 billion dollars in 2007. Imports of Turkey from Africa have risen from 3.3 to 6.7 billion dollars.
Yet, considering that Turkey’s total trade volume with the world amounts to 300 billion dollars, we believe that our current trade volume with African countries needs to be boosted seriously. Turkey’s target is to reach a trade volume of 30 billion dollars with Africa by the end of 2010. Increasing trade is important because it has very positive implications on the welfare of our peoples.
Turkey’s commitment to development in Africa finds expression in our development assistance to the Continent coordinated through the branch offices of the Turkish International cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) established since 2005 in Ethiopia, Sudan and Senegal. The Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit and our participation in seven different UN Peacekeeping Missions in Africa are other concrete examples to this effect.
With the existing enormous potential between Turkey and Africa, what we are trying to achieve is simply to transform this potential into a constructive synergy, to increase our fruitful cooperation with concrete partnership projects. We welcome the decision taken by the African Union during the AfU Summit in Addis Ababa in January 2008, to declare Turkey as one of its strategic partners. Turkey will make every effort in order to advance this partnership further.
I would like to welcome all our guests, with a strong belief in the successful results of this summit, which will make valuable contributions to the fruitful partnership we are forming.
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