Erdogan arrived in Dakar the day before and met with his host, Macky Sall, and after a bilateral business forum both heads of state offered a press conference.
Both dignitaries highlighted the sustained increase in their commercial ties, even in these two years of damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dakar and Ankara agreed in 2018 on a commercial volume of 400 million dollars, a purpose – which they clarified – was fulfilled.
“Our bilateral trade in 2021 increased 42 percent from the previous year and exceeded 540 million dollars. Our goal is for that figure to reach one billion dollars, “said Sall.
Senegal and Turkey cooperate on various matters, including political consultations, infrastructure, energy, agriculture and water, as well as education, transport, the environment, industry, culture and defense.
Before his stop in this capital, Erdogan visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he signed seven agreements, including one on security, and met with his counterpart Félix Tshisekedi.
The tour should have continued on Thursday in Guinea Bissau, but Turkish sources said that he will return to his country from Dakar due to the aggravation of tension in Europe due to the crisis in Ukraine.
President Erdogan decided to end his tour of Africa ahead of time due to the deepening of the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, the Haberler.com portal advanced, assuring that he will participate in a virtual summit of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) .
The United States and other Western countries ventured, even with dates, that Moscow was planning an attack on Kiev. Russia denies the assertions by arguing that the troops within its borders respond to actions to protect its national security and planned military exercises.
In addition, he demands guarantees that NATO will not expand further east as part of a broader plan for stability in Europe.
The day before, and as part of the aggravation of tension, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, signed the decree that recognizes the sovereignty of the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in a ceremony held in the Kremlin, which was also attended by the leaders of these republics, Denís Pushilin and Leonid Pásechnik, respectively.
acl/ro
