Turkey supports the peaceful resolution of Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during a joint press conference with visiting Ethiopian Prime Minister (PM) Abiy Ahmed in Ankara on Wednesday. Erdoğan also called for an “increase” in investments by Turkish companies in the East African country and offered to mediate the ongoing territorial dispute between Ethiopia and Sudan.
Erdoğan said he discussed the “developments and current situation” in Tigray with Abiy. “Ethiopia is going through a sensitive process,” Erdoğan noted, adding that Turkey attaches “importance to the peace, tranquillity and unity of Ethiopia, which has a strategic location and importance in Africa.” In this regard, he urged all sides involved in the conflict to “produce resolutions” to the ongoing tensions. “If the situation there worsens, it will affect all the countries in the region,” the Turkish President said.
The conflict in Tigray has killed thousands and displaced over two million since fighting erupted in November between government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The fighting has led to grave human rights abuses committed by both sides, including mass killings, rape, torture, and the deliberate starvation of civilians.
Official Welcoming Ceremony for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopiahttps://t.co/YHAHkXzhyR
— Turkish Presidency (@trpresidency) August 18, 2021
Furthermore, Erdoğan stressed the importance of trade and economic ties between the two nations and said that “steps to achieve the bilateral trade volume goal of 1 billion dollars” were also addressed during the talks. Accordingly, he called for greater investment in Ethiopia by Turkish companies.
“We want the investments of our companies that operate in Ethiopia to increase. We encourage them to do so as well. And I believe that Ethiopian authorities will provide every kind of support to our companies during this process,” Erdoğan said. He highlighted that Turkish companies “contribute to the Ethiopian economy in many sectors […] and provide employment to nearly ten thousand Ethiopian citizens.”
Moreover, Erdoğan offered to mediate between Ethiopia and Sudan to resolve a long-standing border dispute over the Al-Fashaqa region. Both sides lay claim to Al-Fashaqa, a fertile area on the Sudan-Ethiopia border. Sudan argues that the area lies in its territory according to a demarcation treaty signed between the two nations in the early 1900s, a claim that Ethiopia denies. Erdoğan said that Turkey is ready “to make every contribution, including mediation, for the peaceful resolution of the issue.”
Both leaders also discussed the possibility of greater military cooperation and, in this regard, signed several agreements, including a military financial cooperation deal.
Thanking Erdoğan for the warm reception of his delegation, Abiy said that he “appreciates Turkey’s support” in Ethiopia’s development and stability. “Ethiopia will never forget the critical time cooperation the people and government of Turkey extended to us,” Abiy tweeted after the talks. His visit also marked the 125th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Ethiopia.