Turkey and Kenya are set to sign new cooperation agreements aimed at avoiding double taxation and improving cooperation in the field of agriculture next month, said the Turkish envoy in Nairobi.
"One of these agreements has concluded; we hope they will help to further boost our trade and economic cooperation," Turkish Ambassador to Kenya Ahmet Cemil Miroğlu said in an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA) Thursday.
Turkey enjoys good bilateral relations with Kenya. Ankara established ties with Nairobi in 1967 and opened an embassy in East Africa's largest economy in 1968.
Miroğlu said Turkey has invited Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Raychelle Omamo to attend the annual Antalya Diplomatic Forum scheduled for late March.
According to the ambassador, the two countries currently cooperate in a number of fields, including security.
"Turkey and Kenya are both fighting the menace of terrorism," he said, adding he believes the two countries can do a lot together in terms of cooperation.
Kenya is currently fighting the al Qaida-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabab based in Somalia. Al-Shabab has been carrying out terror attacks in Kenya.
Turkey and Kenya also enjoy good trade relations and their trade volume has increased from $52 million in 2005 to $235 million in 2019, the Turkish ambassador said.
Some of the goods that Turkey exports to Kenya include home appliances, processed foods, construction materials and petroleum products, among others, while Kenya exports mainly agricultural products to Turkey – including coffee, tea and fresh fruits – Miroğlu said.
Turkish Airlines (THY) flies daily to Kenya's capital Nairobi from the Turkish metropolitan city of Istanbul, improving relations between the peoples of the two countries.
The Turkish flag carrier also operates five flights a week from Istanbul to Kenya's coastal touristic city of Mombasa. It also operates cargo operations five times a week between the two countries, which has improved trade and connectivity.
The Turkish government encourages companies to invest in Kenya to create jobs and boost the local economy, the Turkish ambassador said. A number of Turkish companies have opened businesses in Kenya.