• The Trade House would serve as a commercial link between both countries.

Officials from Turkey and Mauritania on Sunday opened a “Trade House” in Nouakchott that they hope would improve bilateral ties between the two nations. Many government representatives, academics, entrepreneurs, and intellectuals attended the opening ceremony in the capital.

Akif Menevşe, the ambassador of Turkey to Nouakchott, spoke at the occasion and said that the “Trade House” would act as a commercial link between Turkey and Mauritania. He emphasized that it would serve as a role model for improving bilateral ties and cooperation between the two nations in a number of areas.

Additionally, he emphasized that the embassy was prepared to offer assistance to Turkish nationals seeking to invest in Mauritania.

The general manager of the Trade House, Ubeyd Koç, emphasized that the Turkish Embassy always supported and constantly monitored his operation. According to him, the Trade House was established in response to Mauritania’s rising popularity and demand for Turkish goods. The Türkiye-Mauritania Trade House, where various Turkish products were displayed, attracted much interest from Mauritanians.

Political relations between the two nations continue to advance at the highest level, motivated by common ideals and history. Mauritania is home to a large number of Turkish businesses, primarily engaged in building, infrastructure, and fishing. Additionally, there are more and more Turkish businesspeople in Mauritania every day. Mauritanians have shown a strong interest in Turkish goods and have begun to favor Turkey for travel, education, and health-related purposes.

As a potential source of help and investment, Mauritania has been cultivating relations with Turkey since the late 1980s. In exchange, Turkey has given it significant financial support and has used the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) to finance the building of hospitals, schools, power plants, and roads.

Mauritania and Turkey are linked historically and culturally. Mokhtar Ould Daddah, the first president of Mauritania, officially visited Turkey in 1974. On March 8 and 9, 2008, a foreign ministerial delegation from Turkey visited Mauritania. Following that, building embassies on both sides and an official visit by former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to Turkey in 2010 strengthened bilateral ties. One presidential visit and two ministerial visits have been made since the Turkish Embassy in Nouakchott officially opened in April 2011.

On February 28, 2018, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish president paid a formal visit to Mauritania and spoke with Abdel Aziz one-on-one. It was the first time a Turkish president had ever visited Mauritania and it served to strengthen the diplomatic ties between the two nations.

After the devastating earthquakes devastated Turkey’s southeast on February 6, killing more than 50,000 people, razing hundreds of thousands of structures, and leaving many homeless, Mauritania lastly sent supplies to the country as a sign of solidarity.