The ambassador of Turkiye to The Gambia has described the relations between Turkiye and The Gambia as 'excellent', further reflecting that last year alone the two countries made remarkable gains in strengthening bilateral cooperation as well as augmenting their assistance to The Gambia.
Fahri Turker OBA was speaking last Friday during a New Year breakfast presser he hosted to take-stock of the past and to share some key projections and expectations in enhancing the bilateral relations between the two countries in 2026.
The morning press conference, graced by staff and heads of various Turkish agencies in the Gambia was held at his residence of the at TAF Estate, Brufut Gardens.
Addressing the press conference, Ambassador Oba spoke of his resolve to make the New Year breakfast presser a valued tradition, reminding that the gathering is not just an occasion to review their achievements of the past, but also an opportunity to share their efforts in steadily strengthening common vision between Ankara and Banjul with the public.
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From politics, economy and trade, exchange of knowledge and experience among public institutions, support in the areas of education, health among a host of others, Ambassador Oba also touched on critical areas, acknowledging that all those efforts are crucial in enhancing 'our bilateral' relations.
The relations between The Gambia and Turkiye, he added, are built on the principle of mutual trust, sincerity and equal partnership.
"It spans across a wide spectrum, ranging from political dialogue to economic cooperation, from development projects to education and from intercultural interaction to regional international issues. We have achieved tangible and measurable progress in 2025, and we will continue this in 2026."
Indeed, he added that the picture they share today clearly reflects the strong political will of the governments of the countries under the leaderships of their respective presidents.
"With this understanding, I would like to outline under the key headings what we have accomplished last year for our bilateral relations. And the areas in which we will have progress and other developments that we envisage for 2026."
He spoke about the high-level engagement between the two countries as officials from the two countries had political consultations.
"Mutual support and coordination on international platforms have also increased. Of course, the chairmanship in the OIC of the Gambia is highly valued on our side. And we especially praise all your work on the Palestinian issue and the case of the Rohingya people."
The year 2025, he observed, was marked by tangible progress in 'our economic relations with the Gambia, as it has also seen increased trade volume and direct links between private sectors from the two countries.
"Turkish companies expanded their activities in priority sectors of the Gambian economy, particularly construction, operation, energy, ferry operations, hotel management and renewable energy. Our objective is to further develop our trade relations in a more balanced and sustainable manner."
Ali Kerim, Coordinator TIKA Gambia, revealed that the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) is Turkiye's official development cooperation institution, recalling that since 1992, TIKA has been implementing development projects across more than 170 countries with strong focus on sustainability, institutional capacity building and the transfer of technical expertise.
In the Gambia, he disclosed that TIKA works in close cooperation with public institutions, universities and local communities and has implemented more than 200 projects, guided by mutual respect, local ownership and long-term partnership.
Mustapha Dirier, country director Turkiye Maarif International Schools in The Gambia, disclosed that Maarif international schools began operations in The Gambia in 2017, recalling that they started as two schools with 35 students and 12 staff members.
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He said today they have four schools on one campus from - Kindergarten, Primary, Junior, Secondary and Senior and that they have over 310 students with support of 56 Gambian and international staff members.
Mr Talip Erdoğan, Coordinator of the Yunus Emre Institute, recalled that the institute started operations since April of 2025 and they have executed projects in many areas: language, art, culture, fostering mutual understanding between the countries and the people.
The institute, he added, carried our diverse cultural and educational activities in close cooperation with Gambia public institutions, universities, cultural organisations and civil society partners.
He revealed that Turkish language is now taught at the University of The Gambia and that move at the centre has brought two continents on one table, adding that Turkish cuisines programme and applied culinary course introduced Turkish gastronomy as a tool of cultural diplomacy.
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