Turkey İs Africa's Spokesperson: Ethiopia President To Aa

Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome on Friday said that Africa and Turkey were enjoying excellent relations.



In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Teshome said Africa had a very good perception of Turkey, while Turkey, for its part, likewise viewed Africa positively.



"Turkey, we consider in Africa, is really the spokesperson of African countries," he said.



Describing Ethiopian-Turkish ties as "excellent," Teshome said Ethiopia planned to participate in an upcoming Afro-Turkish heads-of-state summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, slated for November.



"We will attend the summit, as Ethiopia is always in the front on issues related to Africa-Turkey relations," he said.



Following is the full text of the interview.



Anadolu Agency: What is the current status of Ethio-Turkish relations?



President Teshome: The current relationship between Ethiopia and Turkey is excellent. We have well-rounded bilateral cooperation between Ethiopia and Turkey, especially when it comes to mutual interests bounded with economic interests – both countries are satisfied.



Turkish investment in Ethiopia, especially, and the partnership of the government of Turkey in supporting Ethiopia's infrastructure development, has to be taken into consideration when we talk about bilateral relations.



Actually, the visit I made to participate in the inaugural ceremony of President Erdogan is a testimony that the state of relations between Ethiopia and Turkey is excellent.



We consider each other as one of the best partnerships and strategic partners with each other. Turkey considers Ethiopia as its strategic partner in Africa, and Ethiopia also considers Turkey as its strategic partner for development and for various reasons.



We not only have an interest in collaboration in economic areas, but also we support each other in all international fora, especially in areas of peace and security, we are working together.



We consult each other when it comes to the peace process in Somalia and South Sudan. We both support the settlement and peaceful resolution of conflict in these areas.



AA: How do you evaluate Afro-Turkish relations? And what opportunities do you see for Africa and Turkey to work together?



President Teshome: Turkey is one country. Africa is a continent with 54 countries. When it comes to Turkey with different sovereign countries, definitely all the interests from here to there might vary.



The interest of individual countries with each other is much more convenient for me to explain how the relationship is, but in general, Africa has a very good perception about Turkey and Turkey also reciprocally has a very good perception about Africa.



That is why, in 2008, the Turkish government organized and hosted a Turkey-Africa forum in Istanbul. Since then, we have been having different levels of consultations, conferences and seminars in order to brainstorm how best Africa and Turkey could collaborate, especially in areas of development, economic interests and also in working together wherever it is necessary to address issues of peace and security or global issues of development.



Do not forget also that Turkey hosted the world conference of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) that also includes most of African countries' interests.



Turkey we consider in Africa is really the spokesperson for African countries… Africa definitely considers Turkey as its best development partner in investment, trade, and also in jointly addressing global issues.



AA: As you know, Your Excellency, the Afro-Turkish heads-of-state summit will take place in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in November. Will Ethiopia participate?



President Teshome: Of course. Ethiopia always is at the front when it comes to Turkey-Africa relations. Ethiopia will never be absent in areas where it is a common and joint exercise of friendship of cooperation, such that the Turkey-Africa conference is important. So Ethiopia will definitely take that into account.



AA: You once served as an Ethiopian diplomat in Ankara, Turkey. What are your most enduring memories of your stay there? Are you still in touch with Turkish friends?



President Teshome:  Broadly speaking, the time I spent in Turkey was very fruitful. It was a time when I got many personal friends and also friends for official business activities, government officials, business executives, common Turkish citizens and different strata and different segments of society.



In that, I am proud to say that I have many friends with whom I still have a sort of communication. Some of my Turkish friends, especially those in the business community, still come and visit me. Because of this connection, the interest they have to do business in Ethiopia is increasing.



And when it comes to official communications with Turkish government officials, as I told you earlier, my participation in person in the inaugural ceremony of President Erdogan is a testimony that I still have a very deep affiliation and sentimental attachment to my tour of duty in Turkey - seven years and seven months; it is not easy.



So it was a very good stay for me to have been in Turkey to execute my duties in a very satisfactory way, and when I take the quality of investment from Turkey and how many Turkish investors in Ethiopia, I can say that my stay in Turkey was worthwhile.



Still I think, even though physically I am not in Turkey, sentimentally, I am always communicating with those friends.



AA: Do you have any messages for the Turkish people and investors?



President Teshome: My message is that, as I have been in Turkey since 2006-2013, I was advocating and promoting Ethiopia to make the Turkish business community invest in Ethiopia. That was during my diplomatic mission.



As President of Ethiopia, I still continue to advocate to the Turkish business community to come and invest in Ethiopia. If they come to Ethiopia, they are not alone. They still have a friend.



They have a brother, and that friend and brother is the president of Ethiopia. So to all Turkish friends and Turkish people, I wholeheartedly welcome them to visit Ethiopia and invest in Ethiopia.



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