ANKARA

On the first stop of his three-nation Africa tour, the Turkish president on Monday stressed “significant cooperation opportunities” between Turkey and Angola in the defense and energy fields.

Addressing a news conference with his Angolan counterpart Joao Lourenco in the capital Luanda, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Angola previously demanded Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles and Monday’s talks also covered armored carriers.

“In the last 19 years, Turkey has taken many steps in the field of defense industry, which also struck Angola’s attention,” Erdogan said, adding that the defense ministers of both countries will hold further talks regarding the issue.

In the energy sector, there are greater opportunities for cooperation and collaboration, the Turkish leader said, and the Turkish and Angolan energy ministers discussed the possibilities today.

Erdogan recalled Turkey’s major natural gas discovery in the Black Sea this year, adding: “We will be more than happy to provide the same opportunities for our Angolan brothers and sisters.”

The 3rd Turkish-African Business Forum will be held in Turkey on Oct. 21-22, and Istanbul will host the Turkish-African Cooperation Summit on Dec. 17-18, he said, as both meetings will usher in “a new era” between Turkish and African relations.

Erdogan also said Turkey and Angola can improve cooperation in tourism, education and trade sectors as well.

Turkish Airlines already launched direct flights from Istanbul to Luanda on Oct. 13, said the president.

The goal is to reach a $500 million bilateral trade volume, he stated.

“It is well known that Turkey is quite transparent in its approaches towards African countries. We have 43 embassies on the continent, and we are developing our relations with all African countries on the basis of mutual respect, solidarity and win-win.

“We are deepening our cooperation with the African Union, of which we are a strategic partner, in a way that will contribute to the growth of peace, stability and prosperity on the entire continent ..,” Erdogan said.

‘Fairer world is possible’

Responding to a question regarding his recent book titled A Fairer World Is Possible, Erdogan said that the African continent had been colonized for many years and natural resources had been exploited by the West.

“This is the clear indication of injustice. One of the striking examples of this is France. France used the African continent as a continent for colonization. Hundreds of thousands of people had been murdered in Rwanda, Algeria and so on,” he said.

“And I explain all those facts in my book, because we are asking for a fairer world, and for a fairer world, we have to work hand in hand,” he added.

‘Future will be bright for Turkey, Angola’

Angola’s President Joao Lourenco, for his part, welcomed Erdogan’s statement on cooperation.

“We look positively to this cooperation. The future will be bright for Turkey and Angola,” he said.

Lourenco stated that Angola-Turkey relations have developed rapidly in three months, and several agreements in various fields were signed between the two countries during the Turkish president’s visit.

He also recalled that “important cooperation agreements” were signed during his visit to Turkey in July.

Touting Angola for Turkish investors, Lourenco said that investments in Angola will pave the way for trade and investment in other African countries.

“Among African countries, Angola is striving to be better and modern. With Turkey’s investments here, both countries will gain and we will be able to produce and sell in other countries in the region,” he added.