Turkish delegation in S. Africa for interparty dialogue

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – A large delegation from Turkey’s ruling party is in South Africa Sunday to hold an interparty dialogue with the ruling party of the host nation.

Turkey’s Justice and Development (AK) Party will meet with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) Party of South Africa.

“We have already started a very good relationship with the ANC and signed a memorandum of understanding when we hosted them in our headquarters in Turkey,’’ Cevdet Yilmaz, AK Party's deputy chairman responsible for foreign affairs, told Anadolu Agency in Johannesburg.

Yilmaz said the AK Party and ANC delegations will discuss several issues and share experiences which they hope will further contribute to the cooperation in their parties and nations.

The bilateral trade ties will be among the topics to be discussed, he said. The current trade volume between Turkey and South Africa is $2 billion.

‘‘We believe that these contacts will help the two parties as well as the two nations to further their relations,’’ Yilmaz said.

The parties will also address the ways to improve cooperation on tourism and investment.

Earlier, Yilmaz addressed a group of Turkish nationals living in South Africa.