President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday received Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
Sonko was personally invited to Türkiye by Erdoğan as the two countries seek ways to improve ties. Sonko and Erdoğan were scheduled to sign several cooperation agreements after discussing relations, regional and global issues, the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications said earlier.
Developing relations and cooperation with African countries is one of the cornerstones of Ankara’s multidimensional foreign policy.
Türkiye’s engagement with the African continent has been gaining pace over the years. Since assuming office nearly two decades ago, first serving as prime minister, Erdoğan has been fostering ties with Africa, presenting Türkiye as a fairer player than the continent’s former colonial powers.
Ankara has emphasized its desire to advance relations with the continent based on a win-win relationship and equal partnership while maintaining mutual respect. Both sides have been vowing to tap into their greater potential for further expanding and deepening relations.
The Turkish Embassy in Dakar, which was established in 1962, is one of the first Turkish diplomatic missions on the African continent.
Senegal, which gained independence from France in 1960, stands out in West Africa owing to its stability and institutionalized democracy.
In 2018, Erdoğan paid an official visit to Senegal, accompanied by several Cabinet ministers, and Senegal's then-President Macky Sall visited Istanbul for the opening of the Çamlıca Mosque in 2019.
Erdoğan paid another official visit to Senegal in 2020, which included a business forum. Private sector representatives annually hold business forums in Senegal.
Economic cooperation with Türkiye is key for indebted Senegal, which unveiled an economic recovery plan on Aug. 1. The West African country faces a deteriorating economy, marked by a 14% budget deficit and outstanding public debt that represents 119% of GDP, said Senegal Economy Minister Abdourahmane Sarr at the ceremony to unveil the plan. At the same event, Sonko declared that under the new economic plan, "90% of resources are expected to come from the mobilization of internal resources and without external debt".
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Sonko claim to have inherited a heavy burden from their predecessor, President Macky Sall.
