Visit of Senegal Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko to Türkiye (2025)

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s visit to Türkiye is a series of high-level official talks held in Ankara on 7 August 2025, aimed at enhancing diplomatic, economic, military, cultural and parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. During the visit, four agreements were signed between Türkiye and Senegal.

^{President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan meets Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko at the Presidential Complex, 7 August 2025 – (Anadolu Agency)}

Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Senegal have developed since both countries gained independence and have been strengthened through institutional cooperation in various fields.

During the official visit of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to Türkiye in October 2024, it was decided to establish a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, elevating bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership. This visit, which began on 7 August 2025, builds upon that framework with the aim of expanding existing cooperation mechanisms in economic, defense, energy, transportation, agriculture, fisheries and cultural sectors.

Within the diplomatic framework, the agreements signed during the visit reinforced the legal foundation of cooperation, and both sides affirmed their commitment to sustaining and enhancing coordination on international and regional issues.

An official welcome ceremony for Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko was held at the Presidential Complex on 7 August 2025. Horse-mounted guards accompanied Sonko’s vehicle from the avenue in front of the Complex to the protocol gate. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received the guest at the main entrance of the Complex.

The national anthems of both countries were played by a military band during the ceremony. Flags and soldiers representing the 16 Turkish states in history participated in the event. A 21-gun salute was fired. Prime Minister Sonko greeted the Honor Guard with the phrase “Hello soldier”.

^{President Erdoğan welcomes Senegalese Prime Minister Sonko during the official ceremony, 7 August 2025 – (Anadolu Agency)}

Following the welcome, the two leaders exchanged introductions of their respective delegation members. They shook hands in front of the flags of Türkiye and Senegal on the staircase and posed for photographs with the media. Subsequently, a private meeting took place, followed by delegation-level talks. It was announced that later in the day, an agreement signing ceremony, a joint press conference and an official dinner would be held.

Attendees at the ceremony included Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Chief Secretary of the Presidency Hakkı Susmaz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Zeki Levent Gümrükçü, President of the Presidency of Defense Industries Haluk Görgün, President of the Presidency of Communications Burhanettin Duran, Presidential Advisor on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç, and Governor of Ankara Vasip Şahin.

Following the official welcome ceremony, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko held a private meeting. The discussion covered opportunities for cooperation in investment, trade, security, defense industry, counter-terrorism, energy, mining, transportation, agriculture and fisheries. After the private meeting, both sides presided over delegation-level talks.

During the delegation-level talks, technical issues regarding the implementation of existing agreements and the establishment of new areas of cooperation were reviewed. As a result, it was decided that new agreements would be signed to strengthen the legal foundation of bilateral relations.

^{Four agreements are signed between Türkiye and Senegal in the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, 7 August 2025 – (Anadolu Agency)}

Following the private and delegation-level meetings at the Presidential Complex, four agreements were signed between Türkiye and Senegal. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko attended the signing ceremony. The agreements and their signatories are listed as follows:

1. Agreement on Military Financial Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Türkiye and the Government of the Republic of Senegal: Signed on behalf of Türkiye by Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler and on behalf of Senegal by Minister of the Armed Forces General Birame Diop.

2. Protocol No. 1 Amending the Cash Assistance Implementation Protocol dated 28 January 2020 between the Government of the Republic of Türkiye and the Government of the Republic of Senegal: Signed on behalf of Türkiye by Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler and on behalf of Senegal by Minister of the Armed Forces General Birame Diop.

3. Agreement on Film, Audiovisual and Multimedia Co-Production and Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Türkiye and the Government of the Republic of Senegal: Signed on behalf of Türkiye by Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat and on behalf of Senegal by Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs Yassine Fall.

4. Implementation Protocol for the Memorandum of Understanding on Higher Education Cooperation between the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Türkiye and the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation of the Republic of Senegal for the Period 2025–2028: Signed on behalf of Türkiye by Chairman of the Council of Higher Education Erol Özvar and on behalf of Senegal by Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs Yassine Fall.

Following the signing of the agreements, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko held a joint press conference at the Presidential Complex.

^{President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan meets Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko at the Presidential Complex, 7 August 2025 – (Anadolu Agency)}

The conference emphasized that relations between the two countries are being maintained at the level of strategic partnership and that opportunities for cooperation in economic, security, defense industry, energy, mining, transportation, agriculture and fisheries sectors were discussed. It was stated that the goal is to raise bilateral trade volume to one billion US dollars in the initial phase, noting that nearly 100 Turkish companies operate in Senegal, with their investments and contracted projects reaching a total value of approximately three billion US dollars.

President Erdoğan noted that Turkish companies are implementing projects contributing to Senegal’s development goals and expressed Türkiye’s readiness to share knowledge and experience within the framework of Senegal’s 2050 National Transformation Program. He also highlighted that joint steps in security, defense industry and counter-terrorism were reviewed.

Regional issues, including the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Israel-Palestine conflict, were also addressed. Senegal’s solidarity with the Palestinian people and its support for initiatives launched at the United Nations were recalled. Türkiye affirmed its continued efforts to protect civilians in Gaza and uphold international humanitarian law.

Prime Minister Sonko emphasized that relations between Türkiye and Senegal have a historical legacy, noting that Türkiye opened its first embassy in West Africa in Senegal and that the two countries share similar cultural and historical experiences. He welcomed the goal of increasing trade volume and expressed Senegal’s intention to deepen cooperation with Türkiye in energy, agriculture and transportation. He also stated that defense cooperation with Türkiye would contribute significantly to his country’s security.

As part of his official visit to Türkiye, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko visited the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. He was received by TBMM Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, with whom he held a private meeting followed by a delegation-level meeting.

The meeting focused on strengthening friendly relations and enhancing cooperation between the two countries. The importance of parliamentary ties was underlined, with both sides agreeing that these relations could be further advanced within a framework of mutual respect and partnership.

^{TBMM Speaker Kurtulmuş meets Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, 7 August 2025 – (Anadolu Agency)}

Kurtulmuş expressed satisfaction that Senegalese National Assembly President El Hadj Malick Ndiaye attended the inaugural meeting of the Parliamentary Group in Support of Palestine held in Istanbul on 18 April 2025.

Present at the meeting were Ibrahim Yurdunuseven, Chairman of the Türkiye-Senegal Parliamentary Friendship Group and AK Party MP for Afyonkarahisar, as well as group members Cevahir Asuman Yazmacı, AK Party MP for Şanlıurfa; Yüksel Coşkunyürek, AK Party MP for Bolu; and Mustafa Demir, Independent MP for Kilis.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted an official dinner in honor of Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko at the Presidential Complex. The dinner was held behind closed doors to the press.

Delegations from Türkiye and Senegal attended the dinner, including ministers, senior officials and representatives of relevant institutions. The event followed the day’s meetings and agreement signings and marked one of the final official events of the visit.