Turkish parliament speaker meets Chad's president

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA

Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop met with Chad's president, Idriss Deby Itno, in the capital Ankara on Wednesday.

Sentop and Itno held a closed-door meeting lasting almost an hour in the parliament speaker's office.

Following the meeting, Itno visited the sections of the Turkish parliament which were bombed during the defeated coup of July 15, 2016.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup, which martyred 251 people and injured nearly 2,200 others.

Later Itno is due to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two leaders will discuss all aspects of the bilateral relations between Turkey and Chad, as well as opportunities for further enhancing cooperation.

Erdogan paid a visit to the north-central African country in 2017, as part of a regional tour which also included Sudan and Tunisia, and signed several bilateral agreements.

Since 2004, as part of Turkey’s outreach to Africa, Erdogan has paid numerous official visits to African countries.