Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) was welcomed by the Speaker of the Algerian Council of the Nation Abdelkader Bensalah in Algiers, Algeria, Feb. 26, 2018. Erdogan on Monday kicked off an official visit to Algeria as part of his tour in the region that also leads him to Mauritania, Senegal and Mali. (Xinhua)
ALGIERS, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday kicked off a two-day visit to Algeria as part of his African tour that also leads him to Mauritania, Senegal and Mali.
Erdogan is expected to hold talks with his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika, over cooperation in politics, economy, anti-terrorism as well as regional and international issues of common interest.
Erdogan is accompanied by a group of Turkish businessmen and investors to participate in the Turkish-Algerian Business Forum which will be held in Algiers on Tuesday.
Currently, 796 Turkish companies are active in Algeria creating more than 28,000 job opportunities, as bilateral economic cooperation is becoming more and more diversified under partnership agreements that have been signed so far in the sectors of textile, steel, energy, maritime transport and construction.
Algeria is Turkey's largest partner in Africa, with trade exchange hitting 4 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, while Turkey is Algeria's 7th largest trade partner. Turkey has, in fact, the largest investments out of the hydrocarbons sector in Algeria.
The Turkish president is due to inaugurate the newly renovated Turkish-style mosque of Ketchawa, in downtown Algiers. The mosque was built during the Ottoman presence in Algeria in the 16th century, and features the cultural heritage of both countries.
The visit of Erdogan to the North African nation is the second of its kind after that of Nov. 2014.
