On a landmark visit to Chad, the Turkish president said Tuesday that Turkey never viewed Africa like the colonizers did, and never would. Speaking at the Chad-Turkey Business Forum in the capital N'djamena, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "We never viewed Africa like the colonists who came to this land."
"Our relations on the African continent are based on mutual respect, love, the win-win principle. We are trying to develop our relationships with an understanding that aims for development together , management together, enrichment together."
Erdoğan called for a boost to bilateral trade with Chad, calling on Turkish investors to invest more in the central African nation. "Turkey has 80 million people and Chad has 15 million. This means our two brotherly countries have 95 million people.
"The current trade volume is not enough. We need to increase our trade," he added. Erdoğan said that on Tuesday the countries signed a total of seven agreements on cooperation on development and technology, investment protection, mining, energy, diplomatic archives, and avoiding double taxation. Chad plays a critical role in Turkey's Africa policy, he said.
The president said Turkey will stand together with Chad against terrorism, adding, "Turkey never let Chad become a victim of terrorism." Erdoğan urged Turkish investors to get more involved in public-private partnership projects in Chad.
Turkey's imports from Chad in the first 10 months of 2017 totaled $26.9 million, while exports stood at $14.9 million, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
