President Erdogan warns against military intervention in Niger in UN address

NEW YORK

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a stern warning Tuesday about the potential consequences of military interference in Niger as he emphasized the risk of deeper instability for that nation and the entire Sahel region.

Erdogan spoke at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and said the Sahel faces serious political, economic, social and security challenges.

"Any military intervention in Niger risks plunging this country and the entire region into deeper instability," he warned. "We hope that Niger, which has been going through troubled times recently, reaches a constitutional order and a democratic governance as soon as possible.”

Niger was plunged into turmoil July 26 when Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, a former commander of the presidential guard, led a military intervention that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The furor against French presence in the country provoked a row with Paris.

Military administrations took power in neighboring Burkina Faso in 2022 and in Mali in 2020.