President Erdogan lands in Tanzania for 2-day visit

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Tanzania on Sunday for a two-day official visit, where he is expected to meet with his counterpart John Magufuli and other local officials.

Erdogan was welcomed at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) by Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, and Yasemin Eralp, Turkish ambassador to Tanzania.

On Monday, President Magufuli will host Erdogan. A joint news conference will follow.

Before departing for Tanzania, Erdogan said Turkey intended to establish embassies in all African countries.

Speaking at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Erdogan said the goal was to have closer ties with all African states, a process he said started back in 2005 which was declared "Year of Africa" by the Turkish government.

Turkey was granted observer status by the African Union the same year.

"Our goal is to have embassies in all African countries, and turn Africa into a continent with which we have much closer bilateral ties," he said.

The official visit is part of Erdogan’s five-day East Africa tour. He will visit Mozambique on Jan. 24 and Madagascar on Jan. 25- 26.

Erdogan visited Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea, Kenya and Uganda in 2016.

Reporting by Ilhan Toprak; Writing by Hatice Kesgin