16 November 2017•Update: 16 November 2017
By Parach Mach
JUBA, South Sudan
Turkey’s ambassador to South Sudan on Wednesday said Turkey wants the Horn of Africa country to prosper.
“For me, this is an exciting time to be in South Sudan. The people of South Sudan are warm and friendly, and Turkey hopes for a peaceful, stable and prosperous South Sudan,” Hasan Sevilir Asan told Anadolu Agency in the capital Juba during a courtesy visit on Wednesday.
Asan said Turkey is seeking to deepen relations with South Sudan, and consultation between the countries covers a wide range of issues, from energy to education, culture, and humanitarian matters.
“Turkey will maintain cordial relations with South Sudan, and we expect the government of South Sudan to be relatively receptive to Turkey's accommodating stance. Turkey cannot interfere in South Sudan’s internal affairs, but we will continue to see where we can support and engage with the government,” he said.
The diplomat said Turkey considers South Sudan its close friend and is hoping to develop relations.
He said there are Turkish businesspeople in South Sudan and that efforts are being made to encourage more of them to invest there to strengthen economic ties and growth.
On Turkey’s state development aid agency, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), he said it had recently gotten a permit to work in South Sudan and has already started many projects, including furnishing schools.
Asan said that Turkey could help the war-torn nation a great deal in social and cultural development.
“As you know, South Sudan has launched its national archives, and this is very important for the country,” he said.
“We want to see how we can help strengthen the cultural diversity of this young nation.”
This April, Turkey and South Sudan signed a trade and economic cooperation pact as part of Turkey's goal of furthering commercial, political, and economic ties with African countries.
Since 2013, South Sudan has been torn mired in deadly conflict between government troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebels backing former Vice President Riek Machar. Fighting since has torn the country along ethnic lines, killing tens of thousands and displacing 3 million from their homes.
