Beninese president: African relations imperative for Turkish power


Date posted: December 13, 2013

İSTANBUL

Since Turkey kicked off a strategic initiative to improve its commercial relations with Africa in 2003, this extra attention has resulted in an increased trade volume with the continent.

Beninese President Thomas Yayi Boni said Africa also sees Turkey from a strategic perspective, noting that Turkey is one of Benin’s high-priority partners. Turkey’s economy ranks 16th in the world and sixth in Europe, it is part of the European political stage and it also has an effective presence on the global stage, he said, going on to underline that it is imperative for Turkey to strengthen its relations with Africa in order to consolidate and increase its own power.

Speaking to Today’s Zaman in İstanbul on Thursday evening, Boni said Benin and Turkey share the same vision of the African continent as the cradle of civilization, but this still needs to be heeded globally in terms of politics and economy. The whole continent is in a phase of new development and Benin is no exception, Boni asserted, calling on Turkish businesspeople to come and participate in this growth.

Noting that this is his third visit to Turkey since he was elected president, Boni explained that he believes there are lessons to be learned from developing countries about business management and productivity, and Turkey is a good model in that sense. “Benin needs development, and Turkey seems to be a pole of the world’s growth,” he said, adding that his visits also aim to create a structure of mutual relations.

The strategic partnership between Turkey and Benin dates back to 2008, Boni noted. “But we have progressed really fast. Turkey has been very friendly to us and a baby was born out of this friendship. But it has grown so big [in such a short time] that it is as if it was born with teeth,” he said.

The president said the talks with Turkish officials have been very fruitful, resulting in a number of cooperation agreements in the fields of health, medical science, reciprocal protection, the promotion of investments and reciprocal visa exemptions for those holding diplomatic passports. Also, the two sides held discussions on the prospect of opening a Turkish embassy in Benin, Boni added. The talks included a number of incentives in terms of agricultural investment, he said, adding that the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) will also come to Benin to seek ways to deepen this partnership. Boni explained that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had promised to begin his next African visit in Benin, saying that “this would be a gift for the Beninese people.”

The second day of the president’s trip included meetings with the Turkish business world. He attended the Turkey-Benin Trade and Investment Forum, organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) in İstanbul. During the forum, businessmen from both countries held talks on investment and trade opportunities, forming what Boni called “a win-win situation.” Such opportunities will increase the prosperity of the Beninese people, the president added.

No deal yet with MNG on $300 million dam

Benin has been in talks with Turkey’s MNG Holding about the construction of the country’s first hydroelectric power plant since the foundation of the African republic. The project is projected to cost $300 million and will have an established capacity of 150 megawatts. Boni said the negotiations have been quite productive and the main points of the agreement have been agreed on, but the two sides are yet to sign the deal. “Let me take this opportunity to convey my thanks to the chairman of MNG, who really is a perfect investor and has a great love for Africa and Benin,” Boni said. The power plant will probably be contracted out on a build-operate-transfer basis, but all the details will be clarified when they gather again to settle the remaining issues. The president stated that he hoped this would occur before Jan. 15, 2014. Boni explained that his country needs energy, “without which development is not possible.”

Boni did not hesitate to express his love for Turkey, joking, “Every time I come to Turkey, I say to myself, ‘I wish I won’t return.’ But then it will be a problem for the Beninese, since they will have to elect a new president.”

Source: Today's Zaman , December 13, 2013


Related News

Turkish govt has declared war on us, Nigerian student cries out from hiding

Nigerian students in Turkey are in hiding following the government’s crackdown on them. “We are scared of leaving our rooms for fear of being arrested and charged with terrorism, or deported. Most of us are in our final year. What do we do?” students said.

Turkish school honored with state medal in Laos

Laos, officially the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, has honored a Turkish school, the Eastern Star Bilingual School, with its highest state medal for the school’s excellent performance in an international olympiad. The medal was bestowed upon the school by the republic’s president, Choummaly Sayasone, and was presented at a ceremony hosted by the Ministry of […]

Kamel Daoud: Open letter to Erdogan – You’re not welcome in Algeria

On behalf of those you killed, imprisoned, tortured, you are not welcome, Erdogan! No, Erdogan, you’re not welcome in Algeria. We are a country which has already paid its price of blood and tears to those who wanted to impose their caliphate on us, those who put their ideas before our bodies, those who took our children hostage and who attempted to kill our hopes for a better future.

Understanding the Hizmet Movement in Nigeria

I will start on high-note. The Hizmet movement is not a cult. The participants of the Hizmet movement are not terrorist. The Hizmet movement philosophy does not encourage any form of violence, let alone coup plotting. The Hizmet movement is anchored on love, tolerance, and peaceful co-existence.

NTIC Student Bags Int’l Young Inventors Olympiads, Beats US, UK, Others

A student of the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges, Kaduna, has once again made Nigeria proud as he beat students from 35 other countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom to clinch a silver award at the International Young Inventors Olympiads (IYIPO).

Turkish Schools for a Brighter Future in Somalia

Future of Somalia, striving to combat the famine that the civil war and severe drought left behind, is raised at Somali-Turkish schools in the country. A total of 390 students -30 elementary and 360 high school- are receiving education at three different schools operated by Nile Institutions.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Turkish-Australian businessmen blocked from G-20 summit

Turkish businessmen have first iftar with Syrian refugees in Hatay

Ambassadors back Gulen schools in Asia

The Role of The Gulen Movement in the Task of Eco-Justice

How can a government allow damaging their very own successful educational system to please another country?

Turkish finance minister declines to comment on ‘color lists’

Global peace as a dream to follow

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News