Gül on Africa thanks tour
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Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 21, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Turkey has obligations in Africa as it received the votes of almost all African countries to become a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, said the president.
"Winning the confidence of Africa and receiving African votes is a big issue and therefore, we have responsibilities to Africa," President Abdullah Gül told reporters Friday before departing for Kenya and Tanzania.
To seek support from African nations for a temporary seat on the Security Council, Turkey hosted a Turkey-Africa Cooperation summit in July to enhance political and economic partnership with the continent. The four-day summit was attended by top-level leaders in Istanbul and marked a rapprochement process with African countries. Turkey had also declared 2005 as the year of Africa as part of plans to open up to African countries.
Gül said 60 percent of the issues occupying the agenda of the U.N. Security Council concerned Africa.
"There are still unresolved political issues, security and humanity matters. The United Nations is not only dealing with political problems but also with development, human tragedies, famine, drought, diseases. All of these are basic problems of humanity and unfortunately, these basic problems take place in Africa today," he said.
First visit to Sub-Saharan Africa
Gül made clear the primary task of the United Nations was to deal with such problems. "We, too, as a member of the U.N. Security Council, have to closely follow such issues. We have to know them well." After wrapping up talks in Kenya, the president, accompanied by a large crowd including businessmen, representatives of civil society and academics will travel to Tanzania on Sunday.
"It will be my first time visiting Sub-Saharan Africa as president. This also marks the first visit from Turkey to Sub-Saharan Africa," he said. Gül said the trade volume with African countries, which stood at $16 billion in 2008, was targeted to reach $30 billion by the end of 2010.
To seek support from African nations for a temporary seat on the Security Council, Turkey hosted a Turkey-Africa Cooperation summit in July to enhance political and economic partnership with the continent. The four-day summit was attended by top-level leaders in Istanbul and marked a rapprochement process with African countries. Turkey had also declared 2005 as the year of Africa as part of plans to open up to African countries.
Gül said 60 percent of the issues occupying the agenda of the U.N. Security Council concerned Africa.
"There are still unresolved political issues, security and humanity matters. The United Nations is not only dealing with political problems but also with development, human tragedies, famine, drought, diseases. All of these are basic problems of humanity and unfortunately, these basic problems take place in Africa today," he said.
First visit to Sub-Saharan Africa
Gül made clear the primary task of the United Nations was to deal with such problems. "We, too, as a member of the U.N. Security Council, have to closely follow such issues. We have to know them well." After wrapping up talks in Kenya, the president, accompanied by a large crowd including businessmen, representatives of civil society and academics will travel to Tanzania on Sunday.
"It will be my first time visiting Sub-Saharan Africa as president. This also marks the first visit from Turkey to Sub-Saharan Africa," he said. Gül said the trade volume with African countries, which stood at $16 billion in 2008, was targeted to reach $30 billion by the end of 2010.