Algeria says keen to develop ties with Türkiye

ALGIERS, Algeria

Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Ben Abdul Rahman said Wednesday he had informed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the desire of his counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune to open new horizons in relations between the two countries.

The Algerian premier conveyed the message during his meeting with President Erdogan on Tuesday on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Islamic Solidarity Games held in Konya, central Türkiye, according to a statement published by the Algerian premier’s Facebook account.

Stating that the meeting focused on many files especially trade and investment, Ben Abdul Rahman said: "I conveyed to him (the Turkish president) the greetings of his brother Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his will to move forward in order to dedicate new horizons to Algerian-Turkish relations."

Ben Abdul Rahman said his participation in the opening ceremony of the Islamic Solidarity Games "reflects the depth of relations between Algeria and Türkiye and the desire to strengthen them."

Tebboune's visit to Türkiye culminated in mid-May, with the signing of 15 cooperation agreements between the two countries, covering various economic, cultural and social sectors.

Tebboune said in a recent interview with the state TV that “Algeria’s strive for developing ties with Türkiye is normal given the long history between the two countries.”

In June, Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay said his country's investments in Algeria reached $5 billion.

He added during his visit to Algeria that there were over 1,400 Turkish companies working in Algeria, reiterating Türkiye's desire to sign a free trade agreement or a preferential trading agreement with the North African country.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat