Erdoğan's Africa Tour To Kick Off With Ethiopia Visit

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is to go to Addis Ababa on Jan. 22 as part of his scheduled visits to several African countries, including Ethiopia and Djibouti, with a large group of ministers, bureaucrats and businessmen.

During his visit to Addis Ababa, Erdoğan will meet with Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome Wirtu and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, according to a recent statement issued by the Office of the President.

He is scheduled to visit Djibouti the following day, and there meet with Djiboutian President İsmail Omar Guelleh. The visits will help businessmen from Turkey and these African nations to establish close ties, the statement said.

Erdoğan's office also pointed out that Turkey has close historical and cultural ties with the countries of the Horn of Africa and that these countries are the strategic gateways to Middle Eastern and world markets.

The visit will also be an opportunity to discuss regional developments in Africa, the statement said. Erdoğan is expected to return to Turkey on Jan. 24.

The president plans to travel to 12 African countries this year, according to reports by the Office of the President.

The Djiboutian ambassador to Turkey, Aden Hossein Abdillahi, told Today's Zaman that the current trade volume between his country and Turkey is only $550 million, but that this can be doubled within a couple of years if Turkish businessmen are ready to make the most of the opportunities Djibouti offers as a gateway to the entire African market.

In an interview with Today's Zaman in November 2014, Abdillahi said his country aims to be a trade center, the “Dubai” of the region.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)