The event, held under the theme "The Gambia as a Tourism and Investment Promotion Destination," was aimed at bringing Gambians together under the national flag and showcasing the country's cultural identity. It also served as a platform to strengthen social cohesion and national pride among the Gambian community in Turkiye.
He acknowledged key development partners Albayrak Group and Negmar Company and encouraged expansion of their investments into agriculture and the public sector.
In his keynote address, Ambassador Conteh said: "We are not just celebrating a country. We are celebrating an idea that Gambia is open, Gambia is ready and Gambia is the destination for your next adventure and next big investment."
He traced Gambia-Turkiye diplomatic relations to 1965, describing three phases of evolution - from diplomatic friendship in 1965-1990s, deeper military and multilateral cooperation from 1990s to 2011, and a broad institutionalized partnership since 2011 covering politics, defence, education, health, trade, energy and tourism.
He cited President Adama Barrow's 2018 visit to Turkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's historic first-ever visit to The Gambia in January 2020 as milestones that elevated the relationship into a multifaceted partnership.
On trade, Ambassador Conteh said Turkiye is among The Gambia's largest trading partners in Asia, accounting for 14% to 15% of The Gambia's imports from Asia.
He said The Gambia's imports from Turkiye rose from GMD1.3 billion in 2021 to GMD1.4 billion in 2025, an increase of 9.8%. Major imports include cement, fertilizers, iron and steel, mineral fuel, machinery, flour, dairy products and furniture.
Exports to Turkiye, mainly groundnuts, fish and vegetable fats and oils, surged from GMD133,000 in 2021 to GMD11 million in 2025 - over 800% growth - though The Gambia still maintains a trade deficit due to differences in productive capacity.
He highlighted major Turkish investments: Karpowership supplied 40% of electricity to Greater Banjul from 2018 to 2026, Turkish Airlines launched direct Istanbul-Banjul flights in 2018, Negmar Investment started the first private ferry service between Banjul and North Bank, and Albayrak is implementing a $700 million package to modernize Banjul Port and build a new deep seaport in Sanyang.
Ambassador Conteh listed The Gambia's competitive advantages: strategic location, political stability, investor-friendly policies, the "Smiling Coast of Africa" brand, year-round warm climate, rich cultural heritage, access to ECOWAS market of over 400 million under the ETLS and 1.4 billion under AfCFTA, and incentives through GIEPA.
He stressed that The Gambia is not just a place to visit but a place to invest, with opportunities in nature-based tourism, river cruising, heritage, hospitality, waterfront development and community-based tourism.
