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By Lawrence Agbo
Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, has stated that Türkiye and Nigeria are confronted with similar existential challenges in the fight against terrorism.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday, Poroy stated that the two nations are interested in creating counterterrorism plans that work.
According to the ambassador, Turkey has gained a great deal of experience fighting different terrorist groups over the years and is now prepared to offer its resources and capabilities to Nigeria.
He asserted that the stability of Africa overall and the West African subregion as a whole would depend on Nigeria’s ability to defeat terrorism.
Poroy further revealed that in order to combat the causes of insecurity in the nation and the surrounding area, Turkey has grown its defence sector.
He stated that this assisted Turkey’s military in destroying terrorist threats and that tight cooperation between the two nations in the defence sector may reproduce this kind of cooperation in Nigeria.
“We are working with our Nigerian counterparts to deepen military cooperation in this regard, as our president has expressed that we stand by Nigeria in its fight against terrorism.
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“In addition to providing military equipment and critical systems, our companies also work with Nigerian authorities for joint local production of equipment in Nigeria,” Poroy said.
He claimed that Nigeria’s position as the largest economy in West Africa and the fourth-largest economy in Africa, which no country can take for granted, was another factor that drew Turkey to the country.
According to the ambassador, Nigeria’s more than 230 million people, strong economic potential, and urgent need to deepen economic relations make it strategically significant to Turkey.
“As the biggest country on the continent, Türkiye sees Nigeria as an important strategic partner.
“Today, we continue to view Nigeria as an important, strategic partner,” he stressed.
The Turkish ambassador noted that the Ottoman Empire’s interactions with the Kanem-Bornu Empire in the 16th century marked the beginning of his nation’s ties with Nigeria.
“Our opening of an embassy here on November 9, 1960, immediately after Nigeria gained independence, reflects the importance we have attached to our relations with Nigeria in the past,” he said.
Following recent high-level meetings, such as Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s trip to Turkey, which reaffirmed pledges to security and economic cooperation, there is a renewed emphasis.
