Ahmad 
Reports from “Middle East Eye” indicate that Turkey and Niger have announced their signing of a declaration on cooperation in the oil and natural gas sectors. They also discussed enhancing collaboration in defense and intelligence areas.
The agreement was signed as part of reciprocal visits between officials from both sides, with the aim of enhancing cooperation, according to Washington-based writer Mehmet Ozkan. Ozkan stressed the importance of the timing of these visits after the withdrawal of French and US forces from Niger, a West African country.
A Turkish delegation recently visited Niger, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin, President of the Defense Industries Foundation Haluk Gorgon, and Deputy Trade Minister Ozgur Volkan Agar.
The visit was preceded by a meeting held in Ankara two months ago between delegations from the two countries to enhance cooperation, where the Turkish delegation met with Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mohamed El Amin Zein.
Turkey has previously focused on the West African region as a whole, signing military cooperation agreements with Niger in 2020, Togo in 2021, and Senegal in 2022. Turkey has followed similar steps in East Africa, making it a key mediator in crises in the region. Analysts believe that Russia’s entry into Niger after the United States left, and its military and economic support, helped it liberate itself from colonial states trying to plunder Africa’s wealth.
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