Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is due to arrive in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday for the first leg of a three-day African tour."President Erdoğan is most welcome in Ethiopia at this time when the partnership between the two countries has reached a record high," Ewnetu Belata, State Minister of Ethiopia's Government Communications Affairs Office told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.The Turkish leader will hold talks with Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Ewnetu said. "Turkey leads the pack of industrialized countries in terms of foreign direct investment in Ethiopia," the official noted. "There are more than 350 Turkish companies operating in Ethiopia to date, and they have created jobs for more than 50,000 Ethiopians. Turkish investments are also enabling technology and knowledge transfer [to Ethiopia]," he said.Turkish investment in Ethiopia stands at $3 billion, according to the Turkish ambassador to Ethiopia Osman Riza Yavuzalp.According to a statement issued by the office of the Turkish president, Erdoğan will tour several African countries this year, leading a large group of ministers, senior officials and businessmen. Erdoğan's office also pointed out that Turkey has close historical and cultural ties with the countries of the Horn of Africa, and that these countries are the strategic gateways to Middle Eastern and world markets.In recent decades, Turkey and Africa have stepped up ties in the areas of politics and diplomacy as well as economic, social and cultural fields.One theme that came to the fore during a recent Turkey-Africa summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, was the recognition of the growing ties between Turkey and Africa, as well as the need to further enhance the existing cooperation and economic partnership.In Malabo, Turkey pledged to use its 2015 G20 presidency to advocate the causes of Africa.According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Turkey-Africa relations have gained substantial momentum since the declaration of Turkey as a strategic partner with the continent by the African Union in January 2008."Turkey has given a further boost to its Africa policy as of 2013. We may describe this period as one wherein relations have been transformed into a mutually reinforced political-economic partnership," the ministry said in an earlier statement.Bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Africa reached $23.4 billion in 2013."Turkish contractors are amongst the major undertakers on the continent. The share of African countries in the overall international business volume of Turkish contractors is around 19 percent. Turkish contractors have undertaken projects to the amount of $39 billion in Africa between 1972 and 2013," the ministry's statement read."Turkey provides around 500 scholarships annually for students from Africa," it said. "In addition to many technical training programs undertaken by different ministries and institutions, around 200 junior diplomats have attended training programs organized by the [Turkish] Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1992."The African Union in 2008 declared Turkey as a strategic partner to Africa. Turkey also enjoys observer status with the African Union Commission, and the Turkish Embassy in Ethiopia is accredited to the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an Eastern Africa trade and security bloc.In addition to its backing for the South Sudan peace process, Turkey has been providing support to Somalia.Turkey has also been accepted as a non-regional member of the African Development Bank in 2008.Turkish Airlines is considered to play a key role in the growth of Turkey-Africa ties by flying to 46 destinations in 28 countries across the continent.