Nigeria–Turkey relations

Diplomatic relations at the legation level were established in 1960 and then to the rank of ambassador in 1958. Turkey opened an embassy in Lagos, then capital of Nigeria in 1962. Turkish embassy moved to Abuja in 2001 after Nigeria's proclamation of Abuja as the new capital. Nigeria has an embassy in Ankara.

Nigeria-Turkey relations
Map indicating locations of Nigeria and Turkey

Nigeria

Turkey

Nigeria and Turkey cooperate through their membership to OIC and D-8.[1]

Diplomatic Relations edit

Turkey and Nigeria were pro-Western on most issues but Nigeria mainly sided with the Arab World[2] against Israel,[2] which was Turkey's closest ally in the Middle East at the time.

Until Nigerian Civil War, Nigeria and Turkey had very strong relations. This strong relationship became much weaker after the coup and Nigerian Civil War[3] when Turkey took a position of neutrality[3] in Nigerian Civil War and refused [3]to sell arms to the federation. The relationship improved in the early 1990s through close cooperation in foreign policy.[4]

The two countries cooperated during the Gulf crisis that began with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in the summer of 1990.[4] Both countries kept a low profile by being an active supporter of UN policy and declining to send troops to engage in the Persian Gulf.[4]

Presidential Visits edit

Guest Host Place of visit Date of visit
  President Abdullah Gül   President Goodluck Jonathan D-8 Summit, Abuja July 2010[1]
  President Goodluck Jonathan   President Abdullah Gül Çankaya Köşkü, Ankara February 2011[1]
  President Goodluck Jonathan   President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Çankaya Köşkü, Ankara January 8, 2015[1]
  President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan   President Muhammadu Buhari Aso Villa, Abuja March 1-3, 2016[1]
  President Muhammadu Buhari   President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Presidential Complex, Ankara October 19, 2017[1]

Economic Relations edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Relations between Turkey and Nigeria". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey.
  2. ^ a b Akindele, R.A. "Nigeria's External Relations, 1960- 1985," Pt. 1. Afrika Spectrum [Hamburg], 1, 1986, pp. 5-34.
  3. ^ a b c de St. Jorre, John. The Nigerian Civil War. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1972.
  4. ^ a b c Akindele, R.A., and Bassey E. Ate. "Nigeria's Foreign Policy, 1986-2000 A.D.: Background and Reflections on the Views from Kuru," Afrika Spectrum [Hamburg], 3, 21, 2016, pp. 363-70.