Turkey, Algeria continue to strengthen ties after 60 years of relations
Guards carry Turkish and Algerian flags during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey, May 16, 2022. (AFP Photo)


Turkey and Algeria continue to strengthen their bilateral ties as the two nations celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, marked by the recent visit of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Tebboune made his first presidential visit to Turkey in 17 years on May 15-17, during which 15 agreements were signed between the two countries. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the bilateral trade volume rose 35% to $4.2 billion (TL 65.3 billion).

The bilateral relations, which started with the arrival of Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha and his brothers in Algeria in 1516, witnessed many political, economic and cultural developments in the 2000s.

Turkey opened its embassy in 1963 in Algeria, which declared its independence from France in 1962.

The last presidential visit from Algeria to Turkey was in February 2005 by Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

A "Friendship and Cooperation Agreement" was signed between the two countries in 2006 to improve relations.

The latest presidential visit from Turkey to Algeria was made by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in January 2020.

As part of the visit, a joint statement on the establishment of a High-Level Cooperation Council was signed between the two countries.

Seven cooperation agreements were also signed during Erdoğan's visit to Algeria in February 2018, two of which were of a commercial nature.

The Turkish and Algerian parliaments have also established a parliamentary committee for friendship this year.

Furthermore, the two countries also are in close contact regarding developments in Libya.