Turkish, Gambian Officials Discuss Bilateral Relations

By Seval GulerANKARA (AA) - Turkey's Africa policy is not based on political and economic prospects, said the country's parliament speaker Wednesday. Ismail Kahraman met his Gambian counterpart Mariam Denton and Vice President Aja Fatoumata Tambajang in the capital Ankara.They discussed bilateral relations as well as improving relations between Turkey and the continent.Kahraman said that Turkey's Africa policy is the product of strong history and cultural aspects.Relations with Africa constitute one of the prime orientations of Turkish foreign policy. It has gained a substantial momentum since the declaration of Turkey as a strategic partner of the continent by the African Union in January 2008.For his part, the Gambian vice president expressed gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his "closeness" to African people."We follow his leadership with great respect. He supports democracy not only in Turkey but also in all the countries in sub-Sahara."Referring to the July 15, 2016 defeated coup plotted by the Fetullah Terrorist Organizaton (FETO), Tambajang said his country has shut down all the schools linked to the terrorist group. Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary. -