The vice president and minister of Women's Affairs has described the Republic of Turkey as a genuine partner and ally of The Gambia not only in the area of military cooperation, but also in other sectors as well.

Her Excellency Aja Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy was speaking Thursday at State House while bidding farewell to the outgoing Turkish military advisor and welcoming his replacement.

Col. Yuksel Yigit, whose tenure of service has expired, is succeeded by Lt. Col. Bayram Ozer. They were led to State House by the chief of Defence staff of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), Lt. General Ousman Bargie, alongside the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence. In her words of wisdom, Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy, on behalf of the president and commander-in-chief of GAF, thanked the government and people of Turkey for the continuous support the country has been rendering to The Gambia.

The VP said Turkey has been assisting not only GAF, but also the entire security apparatus of the country. In her view, the presence of the Turkish military advisor in The Gambia has greatly enhanced the bilateral cooperation between the two allies. She further stated that the relationship between Banjul and Ankara has been and continues to be cordial, citing the recent signing of a bilateral agreement between the two countries as an example.

While thanking the Turkish outgoing military advisor for his efforts in strengthening ties between Banjul and Ankara, the VP assured his successor of the government's commitment and dedication to keeping alive the established relationship.

The outgoing Turkish military advisor, Col. Yuksel Yigit, said during his two-year spell in The Gambia, he did his best to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. He disclosed that up to 82 Gambian military personnel have undergone training courses in different disciplines in Turkey, expressing hope that such will continue.

Yigit thanked President Jammeh and the Gambian people for their effort in maintaining peace. He also commended the government for establishing ties with Turkey.

On his part, Lt. General Ousman Bargie commended the outgoing Turkish military advisor for working hard to improve Gambia's military capacity. He also welcomed the new advisor and assured him of their support. He stressed that military cooperation between the two sides has been cordial, disclosing that they are now working on establishing more cooperation. The new Turkish military advisor, Lt. Col. Bayram Ozer, assured that he will do his best for The Gambia during his tenure. About the military cooperation

The Gambia and Turkey have had fruitful and longstanding cooperation for many years with the latter providing military assistance in the form of capacity building to enhance the capability and professionalism of GAF personnel.

In March this year, the two allies signed a bilateral agreement for the provision of Logistical Military Assistance to the Gambia Armed Forces with the objective of further cementing the cooperation between the two.