Turkey is committed to working with Zambia in deepening democracy and national unity, the Turkish ambassador to Lusaka said on Saturday.
Speaking ahead of a friendly football match between Zambia and Turkey in Lusaka, Istem Cırcıroğlu said the two countries also shared common values of bilateral cooperation.
"July 15 marks Democracy and National Unity Day in Turkey. On this day, the Turkish nation once more proves its democracy and demonstrates its unity and solidarity," Cırcıroğlu said.
Since its designation in October 2016, every year the nation marks July 15 as Democracy and National Unity Day, with events held nationwide to commemorate those who lost their lives beating back the putschists and to remember the bravery of the nation.
The Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup, which left 251 people dead and 2,734 injured.
FETÖ was also behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
The attempt by FETÖ to overthrow the government began around 10 p.m. local time (7 p.m. GMT) on July 15, 2016, and was thwarted by 8 a.m. the next day.
Standing against the threat, the Turkish people courageously showed the world that they would not tolerate any attempt to thwart their will as expressed through their democratically elected government.
Zambian Agriculture Minister Mtolo Phiri said the Turkish people resiliently defeated the coup attempt.
"I believe that there are still plenty of opportunities for cooperation between Zambia and Turkey," Phiri added.
Zambia declared its independence on Oct. 24, 1964, and the Turkish government accredited its embassy in Nairobi (opened on March 30, 1968) to Zambia. From 1994 to 2011, the Turkish Embassy in Pretoria became accredited to Zambia. Turkey-Zambia relations gained momentum following the opening of the Turkish Embassy in Lusaka in 2011 and the Zambian Embassy in Ankara in 2013. The Turkish Embassy in Lusaka is accredited to Malawi and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is based in Lusaka.
Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the president of the Republic of Zambia visited Turkey on 8-10 July 2018 to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zambia Joseph Malanji visited Turkey on 4-10 July 2018 for the preparations of the president’s visit and accompanied him during this visit.
Visits from Turkey to Zambia at presidential and ministerial levels were not realized until 2018.
On July 28, 2018, Erdoğan paid an official visit to Zambia. This visit constituted the first presidential-level visit from Turkey. On the margins of the visit, the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK) with the participation of Turkish and Zambian business people and representatives of related institutions organized a roundtable meeting. The ministers of trade chaired this meeting. The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Turkey and Zambia held the second round of political consultations on Sept. 10, 2018, in Ankara.
The two countries are working closely at the technical level to improve their cooperation in the fields such as agriculture, tourism, health, infrastructure and housing. Turkey contributes to Zambia’s development agenda in terms of capacity and institutional building pursuant to the country’s 7th National Development Plan (2017-2021).
The trade volume between Turkey and Zambia in 2019 was at the level of $23.7 million. Turkey’s exports to Zambia was worth $17.8 million, whereas its imports from Zambia was $5.9 million. While Turkey was a net importer from 2002 to 2011, it became a net exporter in 2012-2016.
Through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Turkey is providing development assistance to Zambia in various domains. Since Dec. 14, 2018, Turkish Airlines (THY) has been operating between Istanbul and Lusaka. Since 1992, the government of Turkey continues to grant scholarships to Zambian students.