Erdogan, Tshisekedi discuss Turkey-Africa relations

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi will wrap up his two-day official visit to Turkey on Wednesday. Tshisekedi was received at the presidential palace in Ankara by his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday.

The visit is the first by a Congolese president.

Their talks focused on bilateral cooperation and relations between Turkey and Africa. According to the Congolese presidency, the two leaders also expressed their common desire to increase trade between the 2 countries with the objective of reaching a volume of 250 million USD in the medium term.

Turkey has increased its presence in Africa in recent years. The number of Turkish diplomatic missions on the continent has increased from 12 in 2002 to 43 this year.

The country's national carrier, Turkish Airlines, serves 53 passenger destinations in Africa in 2021, up from just 18 in 2011.

Turkish interests in Africa include trade, investment, culture, security, military cooperation, among others.

Tshisekedi and Erdogan also discussed preparations for the third Turkey-Africa summit expected to be held in October.