TURKEY
*Turkey is unique in being Balkan, European, Middle Eastern, Caucasian and Asian. It is also as much a Black Sea country as it is an Aegean and Mediterranean one.
*In terms of population, Turkey is the second largest country in Europe.
*In addition to being a democratic and secular country in the Islamic world, Turkey has also become fully integrated into Europe. She is a member of Council of Europe, OSCE, NATO, OECD and an associate member of the European Union since 1963, in Customs Union since 1996 and a candidate for full membership to the Union since 1999.
*Turkey has the second biggest Army in NATO.
*Turkey is among the world's 20 largest (17th) economies and a member of the Group of 20 countries.
*The Turkish economy has been identified as being one of the 10 significant emerging markets.
*Turkey is a prominent producer and exporter of many commodities:
-The world’s 17th largest auto manufacturer and is expected to become 10th in the next four years.
-Leading cement producer in Europe and the seventh-ranked producer in the world.
-Second-ranked producer of glass-made items in Europe and fourth-ranked producer in the world.
-Has 40% of the world marble reserves.
-Second-ranked exporter of jewelry in the world.
-World's leading supplier of processed leather.
-Second-ranked supplier of textiles and garments to the EU.
-Fifth-ranked carpet exporter in Europe.
-Sixth-ranked cotton producer in the world.
-Third-ranked producer of tomatoes and second-ranked producer of tomato paste in the world.
-Third-ranked producer of olives and fourth-ranked producer and exporter of olive oil in the world.
*Turkey’s economy, with a GNP of about USD 660 billion, has recorded sustainable growth. The growth rate has been % 6.7 in average throughout the last 7 years.
*The textile and clothes manufacturing sector accounts for nearly % 10 of the country's gross domestic product and creates % 21 of its job opportunities.
*In 2007, total foreign trade volume reached USD 277 billion with an increase by % 20 in comparison to the corresponding figures of the year before (Exports 107 billion USD and imports 169 billion USD).
*Manufactured goods constitute around % 90 of Turkish exports. Vehicles and vehicle spare parts and textiles being the predominant sectors, export products have been diversified to include iron and steel, glass and ceramic ware, leather and leather products and household appliances.
*Turkish businessmen have been expanding their investments steadily abroad. They do not hesitate, even under extremely difficult conditions, to do business in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq.
*Turkish contractors have so far successfully completed over 3000 projects at international standards, in 70 countries across the globe. Total business volume of the Turkish construction sector has reached 105 billion USD by the end of 2007. Within a period of 37 year Turkish contractors have realized more than 4300 projects in 69 countries across four continents. In 2007, 10% of the "Top 225 International Contractors" announced by the leading international industry magazine "Engineering News Record" were Turkish companies. With 22 companies among the top 225, Turkey ranked third in the world in terms of numbers after the USA.
*The value of Turkish in-cash and in-kind humanitarian assistance have exceeded 250 million US Dollars in 2005 and 2006.
*UN World Food Programme has named Turkey as one of the major donors to alleviate the acute food crisis in Africa.
*In 2007, almost 11 million USD worth of humanitarian assistance has been made to various countries. *Turkey’s voluntary contributions to the United Nations have amounted to almost 20 million US Dollars in last three years.
*Turkey stands at the 10th position with officers serving in eight UN missions. Partnership for Peace Training Center in Ankara which was established in 1998 has organized 269 courses and 11 seminars and provided training to almost eight thousand peacekeepers from 73 different countries.
*Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT), since its establishment in Ankara in May 2005, has organized courses, seminars and symposiums to 2775 participants from 67 different countries.
TURKEY IN AFRICA
*Turkey presently has 12 Embassies and 23 Honorary Consulates throughout Africa and recently decided to open 15 new Embassies and 1 new Consulate General in Sub-Saharan countries.
*Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency’s (TİKA) programme coordination offices in African countries have now reached 3 (Addis Ababa, Khartoum and Dakar).
*Turkish Airlines operates direct flights to Addis Ababa, Khartoum, Lagos and Johannesburg.
*Turkey obtained observer status to the African Union (AfU) since April 2005 and accredited her Embassy in Addis Ababa to the AfU. AfU has declared Turkey as one of its strategic partner during the AfU Summit in Addis Ababa in January 2008.
*Turkey has become the 25th non-regional member of African Development Bank in May 2008.
TURKEY-AFRICA COOPERATION
SOLIDARITY AND A TRUE PARTNERSHIP FOR A COMMON FUTURE
*Turkey is determined to improve and develop its political, economic and cultural interaction with African countries.
*The policy of opening up to Africa which was initiated in 1998 aims at completing the legal basis of Turkey’s relations with African countries in political, economic, commercial, military and cultural fields.
*Within this framework, Turkey declared the year 2005 as the “Year of Africa”.
*Turkey has recently earmarked 15 million USD for small scale projects from African countries and announced an additional sum of 50 million USD to be allocated for African countries on a project basis.
*Turkey’s humanitarian assistance to Africa since 2005 is now over 12 million US Dollars.
*Turkey is currently providing personnel and financial contribution to 6 of the existing 8 UN missions in Africa. Turkey’s financial contribution to UN peacekeeping operations in Africa is over 7 million US Dollars.
*Total trade volume between Turkey and African countries has amounted to 12,8 billion USD in 2007. Turkey’s target is to reach a trade volume of 30 billion USD by the end of 2010.
*Imports of Turkey from Africa have risen from 3.3 in 2003 to 6.7 billion dollars in 2007.
*The total amount of direct investments by Turkish companies in Africa have exceeded 400 million USD.
*Turkish construction firms have undertaken nearly 5,8 billion USD worth of projects in Africa in 2007.
*Since 2000, Turkey has provided higher education scholarships to almost 2000 students from African countries.
*Turkey operates a pharmacy and two hospitals in Africa to assist the local communities to alleviate their health problems.
*Turkish and African technical experts are already in co-operation in the following fields: agriculture, agribusiness, rural development and water resources management, the development of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), civil defence, security, struggle against malnutrition, communicable and epidemic diseases, efficient transportation network, energy and mineral resources exploration and evaluation, education, science and technology, youth activities, sports and cultural exchange programmes.
*Turkey will continue to provide developmental and humanitarian assistance to African countries, focusing particularly on projects aimed at the utilization of local resources, the creation of local employment and the development of human resources.
*In order to further deepen our relations with African countries, we organized the First Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit in Istanbul on 18-21 August 2008, with the participation of Heads of State/Government and Heads of Delegation from almost all African countries. During the Summit, we had the opportunity to evaluate our current level of cooperation and discuss future planning. The Summit also provided us with an opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with all participating African countries. We hope that these bilateral meetings will bring fruitful results in deepening Turkey-Africa cooperation.
The Summit unanimously adopted two important documents: “The Istanbul Declaration on Africa-Turkey Partnership: Solidarity and Partnership for a Common Future” and “Framework of Cooperation for Africa-Turkey Partnership”. The said documents put a road map ahead of Turkey and African countries. This process aims to further promote relations with African countries and explore additional ways and means based on concrete plans. Turkey considers “Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit” as the beginning of a steady, sustainable cooperation process.
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