Turkey wants to walk with Africa: Erdogan

By Duygu Yener and S. Ahmet Aytac

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that Turkey wants to walk along with Africa when a new world order is being established.

Erdogan was speaking at a joint press conference with his Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in the capital Nouakchott

“We will form an alliance with Mauritania on a win-win basis,” Erdogan said.

He also thanked President Aziz for Mauritania’s support in the fight against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Erdogan also commented on the UN Security Council’s resolution in December rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s Jerusalem declaration.

"We will never compromise where we stand on Jerusalem. Al-Quds [Jerusalem] is Palestine's capital. We declared it before."

On Dec. 6, Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital despite worldwide opposition. The decision sparked angry demonstrations across the Muslim world.

Following the Security Council’s resolution, which would have passed unanimously but for a U.S. veto, the General Assembly passed a resolution spurning the U.S. move by 128-9 votes.

After Mauritania, Erdogan will head to Senegal and Mali.

Last December, Erdogan paid a four-day visit to Sudan, Chad and Tunisia.

Since 2004, Erdogan has paid official visits to 24 African countries and witnessed the signing of numerous bilateral pacts.