ANKARA - Turkey`s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said on Thursday that Turkey wanted to further develop relations with African countries.
Speaking at a joint press conference with African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping in Ankara, Babacan said that Turkey extended humanitarian assistance to African continent and prepared development projects to contribute to the solution of the problems in that continent.
He added that projects were underway in 37 countries in Africa through TIKA (Turkish International Cooperation & Development Agency).
Babacan recalled that Turkey was chosen as observer country for African Union in 2005; and was declared strategic partner for Africa in 2008. He added that Turkey joined African Development Bank in May, 2008.
Babacan said it was important that Turkey, as a country which did not take place in Africa, had become a member to that Bank.
Ping, in his part, said that Africa was a continent which had a future, and the population of the continent would reach 1.4 billion by 2020.
Ping said that African continent offered big opportunities in terms of raw materials and other wealths. He added that 95 percent of many raw materials in the world such as diamond and iron took place in Africa.
Ping said that Turkey had a very important strategic location where Africa and Middle East met, and Turkey was very valuable for Africa.
(GC-MS)
DIP)