Nigeria and Turkey’s bilateral relations will soon hit the $5 billion target, The Nation learnt.
This is as Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Hidayet Bayraktar, assured Nigerians that drones and helicopters will soon arrive in the country, as part of the support to Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.
Bayraktar said his country and Nigeria experienced great improvement in bilateral trade between 2021 and 2022.
He, therefore, said that with the current pace of increasing commercial relations, both countries would soon achieve the target of $5 billion in bilateral trading volume.
He said: “These mutual high-level visits have provided the opportunity to underline our shared goal of strengthening our bilateral ties in every field, especially in terms of commerce, defence industry, energy, construction, manufacturing, healthcare, education, tourism and culture.
“With its steady growth over the last decade and by emerging as an economic powerhouse in its region, Turkey expressed its readiness to share its development experience with African states, to broaden and strengthen its cooperation in different areas.
“Today, Turkish business people, some of whom are present here tonight, are investing in numerous sectors, from Fast-Moving-Consumer-Goods to construction, from healthcare to transportation, from energy to agriculture.
“With the current pace of increasing commercial relations, I am confident that we will soon achieve our target of $5 billion of bilateral trading volume with Nigeria, which remains one of our top trading partners in sub-Saharan Africa,” Bayraktar said.
On insecurity, the envoy said that Turkey was set to extend all kinds of support to Nigeria in its efforts to counter its security threats by sharing its experience, technical expertise and technology.
“The defence contracts signed between our countries last year marked a historical record.
”Taking this opportunity, I am proud to announce that two of our flagship defence industry platforms, Bayraktar (TB-2) drones and (T-149) ATAK helicopters, are set to arrive in Nigeria.
”We are confident that new Turkish defence products will support the efforts of the Nigerian government and contribute immensely to the peace, prosperity and security of fellow Nigerians.”
Bayraktar also urged the Nigerian government to support its clamp down on the FETO group in Nigeria.
“Remaining as the sole obstacle hindering our bilateral relations to develop further, we call Nigeria not to let terror groups undermine our excellent ties, by allowing this terrorist group to fund their illegal aims and activities, by the generation of revenues in this country.
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Bayraktar said that the year 2022 which marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties with Nigeria, had indeed gained a huge momentum recently, with the reciprocal high-level visits of President Erdogan, in October 2021 and President Buhari, in December 2021.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada said that Nigeria and Turkey witnessed increased trade and bilateral relations since the high-level visit exchange between both Presidents in 2021.
Dada also said Nigerians remained keen on doing business with their Turkish counterparts which are reflected in the Turkey-Nigeria Business Congress held in September 2021 in Istanbul.
”Since the last series of consultations and exchange of visits at the highest political level, involving President Muhammadu Buhari and Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Abuja and Istanbul in October and December 2021, both countries have continued to seek new grounds to deepen relations, especially increase in trade volumes.
“I wish to happily note that Nigeria and Turkiye have demonstrated a strong commitment towards friendship in all our dealings, including people-to-people contacts in recent times.
“On this note, I wish to express my optimism that as Nigeria and Turkiye continue diplomatic engagements at the highest level, we would work together tirelessly to deepen engagements for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” Dada said.