By Fatou Saho
At a grand reception held Tuesday at the Ocean Bay Hotel commemorating the 101st National day of the Republic of Türkiye, Ambassador Fahri Turker Oba, pledged his country’s continuous support to the development of The Gambia and painted a brighter future for the two countries’ relations.
This, he said, will increase in sectors such as education, culture, tourism among others.
Dignitaries from all walks of life, including businessmen, ambassadors and National Assembly members graced the occasion and reveled in the resilience and achievements of Türkiye since it gained republic 101 years ago.
The ambassador revealed that the volume of trade between the two countries exceeded $75M in 2023 and that is expected to increase further. “We will keep contributing to Gambia’s development, welfare and prosperity. Turkish companies Albayrak, Karpowership and Negmar are investing in strategic sectors such as port construction, energy and ferry operation. Other Turkish firms are exploring ways to cooperate with the Gambian market and companies. We have a bright future ahead of us,” Ambassador Oba said, while thanking the two countries’ leaders for facilitating The Gambia-Türkiye ties to flourish.
Defence Minister Sering Modou Njie, who represented the Gambia government, told the gathering how Gambia deeply values the support and friendship Türkiye has extended over the years and also looks forward to further strengthening ties, especially now that President Adama Barrow took over the chairmanship of the OIC.
“Tonight, as we celebrate the 101st anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye, we also celebrate the shared values that unite us. We are reminded of the importance of partnership, cooperation, and understanding in our pursuit for peace and development for our two peoples and the world at large. The Republic of Türkiye remains a very important partner of The Gambia especially in the areas of security, defense, human capital development, trade and investment and cooperation at the international level,” Minister Njie said.
