Turkish president welcomed in Togo with official ceremony

LOME, Togo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was welcomed by his Togolese counterpart Faure Gnassingbe in the capital Lome on Tuesday with an official ceremony.

Before the leaders began their talks, the national anthems of both countries were played during the ceremony at the presidential palace.

The Turkish president also saluted the guard of honor at the ceremonial ground.

Erdogan and Gnassingbe also introduced their delegations to each other.

The ceremony was also attended by senior Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Trade Minister Mehmet Mus, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, and others.

The visit to Togo is part of the Turkish leader's three-day African tour, which began in Luanda, Angola's capital, on Monday.

Erdogan's African tour, which also includes Nigeria, is considered significant for new cooperation opportunities in Africa.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara