El Salvador president to visit Turkiye on Thursday

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - ​​​​​​​El Salvador President Nayib Bukele is set to begin his first trip abroad this year on Thursday with a visit to Turkiye.

“This Thursday, on a State Visit, I’ll hold a meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan (@RTErdogan), President of Turkey,” Bukele said on Twitter.

Bukele is expected to “strengthen relations with the country and seek cooperation and investment opportunities,” the El Salvador government said in a statement.

“In 2021, the Turkish Cooperation Agency facilitated the online training module ‘Methods to combat COVID-19’, which benefited 35 doctors and representatives of the health sector in El Salvador,” said the statement. “El Salvador has also explored opportunities for Turkish companies to invest in El Salvador, specifically in the energy and tourism sectors.”

Bukele will also visit Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish state. The visit will also include meetings with business leaders.

“Since the beginning of his administration, President Bukele has been committed to strengthening diplomatic relations with various countries, with the aim of seeking the welfare of Salvadorans,” the statement added.

El Salvador has an embassy in Ankara while Turkiye has been considering a mutual move in the Central American country.

Bukele will be joined by the first lady Gabriela de Bukele and his daughter.​​​​​​​