February 26, 2018•Update: March 07, 2018
By Hacer Başer, Zeynep Tufekci, and Ayse Sumeyra Aydogdu
ISTANBUL
Ankara will propose the strengthening of relations with Algeria in several areas, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.
"During my visit to Algeria, we expect our relations to gain momentum. We will propose deepening cooperation between our countries in the areas of politics, the economy, culture, tourism, energy, and security," Erdogan told Algerian daily Al-shorouk newspaper before his visit to the country, set to start tonight.
Erdogan said Turkey trusts the Algerian economy, adding: "That’s why around 1,000 Turkish companies are doing business in the country.”
He added that Turkish firms are some of the biggest investors in Algeria.
Erdogan added that if Algeria fears economic problems due to falling oil prices, Turkey is ready to help with this problem.
He said Algeria's quota system and requirement for imports to have permits had hurt bilateral economic ties.
"Ending these measures would contribute a great deal to boosting bilateral trade between our two countries," Erdogan added.
He also said Turkey has a "flexible" system regarding visas for Algerian citizens.
Erdogan’s visit to Algeria -- the first stop in a four-nation African tour -- will be the second presidential trip to the country.
After Algeria, Erdogan will head to Mauritania on Feb. 28, followed by Senegal and Mali.
Since 2004, Erdogan has paid official visits to 24 African countries and witnessed the signing of numerous bilateral pacts.
Syria
Turning to Syria, Erdogan reiterated that Turkey hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees and supports diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the Syrian crisis.
Turkey has become the biggest refugee-hosting country in the world, according to the UN. Since 2011 it has spent $30 billion on the Syrian refugee crisis.
He said if the crisis in the war-torn country continues, humanitarian tragedies like the besieged enclave of Eastern Ghouta, where Assad regime airstrikes have killed hundreds in recent days, will also continue.
"If these are not stopped, we will see more cases like Eastern Ghouta. Turkey is ready to do its part to end the humanitarian tragedy," Erdogan said.
He said Turkey "has no designs" on the territories of other countries.
Erdogan also said Turkey has some "deep disagreements" with the U.S. on issues such as Syria and the fight against Daesh.
"What we expect from the U.S. is to stand with us on the issues that concern our national security and not cooperate with our enemies," he added.
He said it would be a "huge" mistake to rely on terrorist organizations like the PKK, YPG and PYD to ensure peace and stability.
The U.S. has called the PYD/PKK a “reliable ally” in its fight against Daesh, against strong Turkish objections that the group is the Syrian offshoot of the terrorist PKK, which has taken some 40,000 lives in Turkey.
Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since March 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.
