Turkey ready to help Nigeria fight terrorism: Erdogan

ABUJA, Nigeria

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey is ready to help Nigeria in its fight against terrorism.

Addressing a joint news conference alongside his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Wednesday, Erdogan said Turkey will help Nigeria bring peace to the region.

"As a country combating terrorism itself for a long time, any terror in Nigeria deeply hurts our hearts,” the Turkish president said.

Erdogan also extended his condolences to the victims of terrorism in Nigeria.

“There is evidence that terrorism is the same all over the world," Erdogan said, adding: “Terrorism has no religion or nationality”.

“We are ready to combat terrorism with Nigeria. We would like you to enjoy our experience in the field of defense,” he added.

There is no “distinction between terror organizations,” Erdogan said.

Buhari welcomed the Turkish president saying: “I thank you for supporting us in these difficult times that we have been through,” Buhari said.

The Turkish president also expressed his interest in boosting bilateral economic ties. He noted the growth of Nigerian economy in recent years and expressed Turkey’s willingness to make further investments in Nigeria.

“We have been following Nigeria’s economic growth closely. I am accompanied by a large number of businessmen…We hope to be able to obtain a positive outcome from this [Turkey-Nigeria business] forum [in Abuja],” Erdogan said.

“The population of Turkey and Nigeria is about 260 million people… that is a very important market if we combine our forces,” he added.

He also said that Turkey remains ready to share its experience and knowledge in the fields of irrigation and agriculture with Nigeria.

“It will be a pleasure for me to host Buhari as soon as possible,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish president also said the Grand National Assembly of Turkey will cooperate with the Nigerian parliament.

Turkey and Nigeria signed bilateral agreements on economic, scientific, and technical cooperation in 2011.

The Turkey-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1999. Their main areas of trade relations revolve around imports of clothing materials and automobile parts. Turkey also imports raw materials from Nigeria, including rubber and sesame seeds.

Turkish investments in Nigeria are in the areas of construction, quarrying, textiles, tourism, education, healthcare and hospitality.

Erdogan is currently on a four-nation tour of Africa. He visited the Ivory Coast on Monday and Ghana on Tuesday. He is expected to leave Abuja late Wednesday for a visit to Guinea.

Nearly 150 Turkish businessmen joined Erdogan on his tour of West Africa that began Sunday.