Türkiye and Niger are strengthening their relations on the occasion of President Tchiani’s visit to Ankara.
At the invitation of his counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Niger's President Abdourahamane Tchiani is officially visiting Türkiye. On Thursday, 4 June, President Erdoğan received Tchiani at the Presidential Complex in Ankara Relations between the two countries have improved significantly in recent years, particularly since the coup in Niger in 2023, especially in the security, defence, trade, and energy sectors. In Ankara, Abdourahamane Tchiani and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed their determination to advance the rapprochement process. The two countries have signed four bilateral agreements in trade, health, and defence.
This was Abdourahamane Tchiani’s first official visit outside of Africa as the President of Niger. The 2023 coup did not disrupt relations with Ankara. On the contrary, relations are rapidly evolving.
Defence holds a special place in these relations. There are extensive Turkish arms sales, consisting of armed drones, light aircraft, armoured vehicles, and more, as well as agreements for military cooperation. Since April, a protocol has allowed Turkish military instructors to be dispatched to the Niger Armed Forces. President Erdoğan made sure to reiterate this point.
Erdoğan said, "We are grateful for the efforts of the security forces led by President Tchiani in the fight against terrorism. We discussed the opportunities for further strengthening our cooperation in military training and intelligence. I stated that we are prepared to share our country’s experience in this field."
The President of Niger expressed high praise for Türkiye’s support, commending it at length. President Tchiani said, “We sincerely thank you because, thanks to our Turkish-origin equipment (...), today we have been able to bring this terrorist threat under control and establish a relatively calm environment."
For both Ankara and Niamey, relations are based on the win-win principle. Niger is strengthening its ties with this country, which has become one of its most significant foreign partners. Meanwhile, Türkiye continues to expand its influence in the Sahel region, from Mali to Chad and, therefore, to Niger, by taking advantage of the withdrawal of the West.