Niger, Turkey Agree To Strengthen Cooperation in Energy and Defence

Turkey and Niger have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in energy, mining, intelligence, and defence.

This agreement comes after Niger expelled Western military personnel and cancelled many Western mining contracts.

On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, and intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin all visited Niamey, the capital of Niger. They met with Niger’s junta leader, General Abdourahmane Tiani, who took power last year in July after a military coup.

According to Turkey’s energy ministry, the two countries signed a declaration to support Turkish companies in developing Niger’s oil and natural gas fields.

After the talks in Niamey, Niger, Foreign Minister Fidan said that both countries discussed improving cooperation in defence intelligence.

Turkish Defense Minister also discussed enhancing defence and military training cooperation between the two countries, a Turkish defence ministry official said on Thursday.

This meeting comes two months after Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Zeine visited Turkey’s President, Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara, Turkey.

Following the coup in 2023, Niger expelled French troops from the country, gave quit notice to United States military personnel, and ended its partnership with the European Union. Since then, the Sahel country has been trying to build significant partnerships with non-Western countries like Russia and Turkey.

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Emmanuel Ejiofor

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