Turkey and Ghana set to cement relations

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Turkish President Abdullah Gül (R) and his Ghanaian counterpart John Dramani Mahama pose for a photograph during a meeting in Ankara. EPA Photo

In an attempt to boost relations, Turkey and Ghana signed various agreements, including ones on cooperation between free trade zones, cooperation in the defense industry, and cooperation between the foreign ministries of both countries.

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama described Turkey as an important partner in its region and said the two would seek ways to develop their relations. “We support Turkey’s candidacy for non-permanent membership for the U.N. Security Council in the 2015-2016 period, as well as for the UNESCO World Heritage List and Expo 2020,” Mahama said at a joint press conference with President Abdullah Gül in Ankara yesterday. Mahama also called on Turkish businessmen to invest in his country, noting that they could invest in construction, petro chemistry, medicine, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, tourism and services areas.

Gül said Ghana was a “very crucial country” for Africa. “A large number of Turkish businesspeople accompanied me on my trip to Ghana in March 2011. The businesspeople of the two countries were encouraged to work together at the business forum held in Ghana,” Gül said, adding that in a period of less than two years, the bilateral trade volume had risen 85 percent, reaching $550 million.