Türkiye's Ambassador to Mauritania, Dr. Akif Menevşe praised Nouakchott's solidarity with Türkiye during the July 15 failed coup attempt.

Speaking at a news conference at the Turkish Embassy in Nouakchott, Ambassador Menevşe briefed the members of the press of Mauritania about the treacherous coup attempt of 15 July and its perpetrators. He shared information on strengthening democracy and development initiatives in the country with the help of the Heroes of the Turkish Century.

Ambassador Menevşe also thanked the Government of Mauritania and its decision-makers, who showed a statement of support for Türkiye after the coup attempt and decided to transfer the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) schools to the Turkish Maarif Foundation.

Türkiye and Mauritania share common historical and cultural bonds. The founding president of Mauritania, Mokhtar Ould Daddah, carried out an official visit to Türkiye in 1974.

A visit at the foreign ministerial level was paid to Mauritania from Türkiye on March 8-9, 2008. Afterward, an official visit of former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to Türkiye in 2010 and the reciprocal opening of embassies furthered bilateral relations.

Since the opening of the Turkish Embassy in Nouakchott on April 2011, one visit on the presidential level and two visits on the ministerial level have been carried out.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan officially visited Mauritania on Feb. 28, 2018, and held bilateral meetings with Abdel Aziz.

It marked the first-ever visit by a Turkish president to Mauritania and helped to improve the bilateral relations between the two countries.

In a show of solidarity, Mauritania lastly shipped aid to Türkiye after the devastating earthquakes struck its southeastern region on Feb. 6, killing more than 50,000 people, razing hundreds of thousands of buildings, and leaving many homeless.