On Friday, Nigeria’s President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), stated that the country will work with the Republic of Turkey to address the country’s present security concerns.
This comes as he acknowledges that Turkey has a lot of expertise dealing with many types of security difficulties, which Nigeria could benefit from.
Buhari made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his Turkish counterpart, just before the start of the 3rd Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul, Turkey.
Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, revealed this in a statement headed ‘Nigeria, Turkey To Strengthen Security, Defense Ties.’
He quoted the President as saying, “Turkey has practical experience dealing with challenges over the years and Nigeria stands to gain from that.”
Buhari expressed satisfaction with Turkey’s offer of assistance in the areas of security and peace in Nigeria, promising that the relationship between the two nations will continue to grow for the mutual benefit of both countries.
“I wish to express my appreciation for the special invitation for this meeting and to express my happiness with your offer of assistance in dealing with the challenges facing us.
‘‘I await the reports of officials and the ministers as they hold meetings with their counterparts. I assure you that I will endorse all their positive recommendations,” he assured Erdogan.
Earlier, the Turkish leader said that he was glad to host Buhari immediately after he paid an official visit to Nigeria.
“Turkey understands the challenges facing Nigeria and its needs, and we are ready to assist you to meet those needs especially in the area of defence.
‘‘I am happy Nigeria is stepping up cooperation with other nations in areas of defence and health, and we are ready to cooperate with you on these areas and more,” said.
Turkey, which is gaining international recognition as a military power after victories in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and, most recently, Azerbaijan, said it welcomed Nigeria’s decision to buy naval ships from their shipyard, adding that talks are ongoing on how to strengthen the capacity of the Defence Industries Corporation (DICON) in Kaduna, as agreed during President Erdogan’s last State Visit.
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