Türkiye aims to step up its bilateral trade with the African continent to $50 billion, nearly 10 times the 2003 figure of $5.4 billion, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz has said.
The trade volume between Türkiye and 54 African countries has grown sevenfold, reaching $37 billion from 2003 to 2023, Yılmaz said after a meeting with Lesotho’s Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane in Ankara.
Highlighting Turkish investments in Africa, Yılmaz said investors from his country have contributed approximately $10 billion to the continent.
He also emphasized the achievements of Turkish contracting companies, which have undertaken 1,977 projects worth $91.6 billion in Africa.
“Our trade volume with Sub-Saharan African countries rose from $1.35 billion in 2003 to $12.4 billion in 2023. Turkish contractors have undertaken 445 projects with a total value of $26.7 billion in this region,” he said.
Acknowledging limited progress in trade and investment relations with the Southern African nation Lesotho in the past, Yılmaz expressed optimism for a new era following Matekane’s visit.
“This visit by Prime Minister Matekane is historic, marking the highest-level visit from the Kingdom of Lesotho to our country. I believe it will be instrumental in advancing our relations and intensifying high-level engagements in the future,” Yılmaz stated.
hurriyetdailynews.com