He added that the equipment were procured by Turkiye under the Military Financial Cooperation Agreement. “The official handing over will be on 14 January 2025 at a location not yet identified.”
“These are not attack equipment, they are protection equipment for your military. It's to ensure the military’s safety whenever the needs arise and not for attack purposes,” he said at a breakfast press conference.
“Turkiye gives importance to Gambia's accession again to UN peacekeeping operations. Since 2022, we have been undergoing a long strategy. First, we have sent 500 soldiers to Isparta, it's in the Mediterranean side of Turkiye, for three months training, specially designed for UN missions,” he said.
“We understand that trainings are very important, but the most important that is the participation and that is why we did this donation to enhance the military for them to be prepared when the needs arise.
“2024 was particularly productive and successful in the area of military cooperation yielding palpable dividends for the country, which is consolidating bilateral relations between the Gambia and Turkiye, deepening strategic partnership between Banjul and Ankara,” he underscored.
Further informing the press on the numerous project interventions undertaken by the Turkish embassy, he said in 2024, they had a record of 16 projects worth US$347,400.
According to the Turkish ambassador, 2025 will be a fruitful year with increasing momentum as the Turkish embassy moves to launch more strategic support mechanisms in key areas such as military cooperation, health and education among others.
He noted that TIKA has been a fundamental tool in bridging the gap in defence and security as well as health and educational opportunities across the country.
He also stated that bilateral trade is another significant scope being driven with the Turkish embassy moving to boost trade cooperation.
“We will continue to strengthen our trade with The Gambia to boost both country’s revenue and international cooperation.”
