Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in its fight against terrorism, expressing readiness to deepen cooperation in military training, intelligence sharing, and defence collaboration.
Erdogan made the pledge during a joint press conference with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Ankara, following bilateral talks held as part of Tinubu’s official state visit to Türkiye.
According to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the Turkish leader acknowledged that Nigeria, under President Tinubu’s leadership, is taking decisive steps to address terrorism and insecurity, adding that Türkiye stands firmly with the Nigerian people.
“We are ready to share Türkiye’s significant experience in counterterrorism,” Erdogan was quoted as saying.
Defence and Security Cooperation
The Turkish president noted that terrorist groups, particularly those operating across Africa’s Sahel region, continue to pose a serious threat to regional stability. He said both leaders reviewed opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the defence sector, including military training and intelligence collaboration.
During the visit, Nigerian officials including the honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd) engaged with leading Turkish defence industry companies, expressing optimism that the engagements would yield positive outcomes for Nigeria’s security architecture.
He said discussions focused on practical steps to attain the target and welcomed the establishment of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) as a mechanism to advance bilateral economic cooperation.
Erdogan described President Tinubu’s visit as a reflection of Nigeria’s strong political will to deepen economic relations with Türkiye.
He added that Nigeria plays a critical role in the restructuring of Africa’s energy economy, noting that Türkiye is eager to strengthen trade and investment partnerships in the sector.
