Erdogan: Turkey will donate vaccines to Togo, other African countries

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country will donate Covid-19 vaccines to Togo, Burkina Faso and Liberia, as well as other medical supplies, in an effort to assist the countries in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

"Turkey will be donating vaccines to Togo, Burkina Faso Liberia, as well as medical supplies in the forthcoming period," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with his Togolese counterpart Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe in Lome, Togo on Tuesday.

President Erdogan also said the two countries could take steps in many areas including security, economy and agriculture.

"In addition to this, we can also take steps in military security co-operation especially so that terrorism does not infiltrate this region. I said this to my dear friend in the bilateral meeting. We will always continue to stand by Togo in this matter," he said.

The visit to Togo is part of his three-day African tour, which began in Luanda, Angola's capital, on Monday.

Erdogan's African tour, which also includes Nigeria, is considered significant for new cooperation opportunities in Africa.

READ MORE: Erdogan kicks off African tour in a bid to strengthen ties with continent

Historic visit

President Erdogan's visit marks the first official visit from Turkey to Togo at the presidential level.

Ankara and Lome have enjoyed good bilateral relations including regular high-level contacts during multilateral organisation meetings and economic partnership. 

Trade volume between the counties marked $106 million in 2019 and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) is also active in Togo.

READ MORE: Erdogan: Turkey rejects orientalist approach towards African continent

Ahead of his arrival on Tuesday, Turkish and Togolese flags lined streets in the capital Lome.

Posters of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Togolese counterpart Faure Gnassingbe with the words "Together a Fairer World is Possible" were seen in various parts of the capital.

Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's visit to Togo on July 20 last year was the first official visit from Ankara to Lome.

Turkey opened its Lome embassy on April 1 this year.

READ MORE: Erdogan: Turkey becoming Africa's leading trade partner