Gul touts Turkey's rising international aid efforts

Speaking to reporters en route to Turkey from a week-long official trip that included India and Bangladesh, President Abdullah Gul yesterday said that he planned to visit Africa soon, adding that Turkey has a humanitarian responsibility towards Africa. Pointing to Turkey's growing international aid efforts in recent years, Gul said that last year Turkey's direct and indirect charitable aid for countries around the world topped $1 billion. "Turkey is now one of the world's leading donor countries. This is something befitting a great country," he said. Saying that nearly all African countries voted for Turkey's current non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, Gul added, "No country but Turkey could win such support. The Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) now has offices in every African country. Turkey will continue its efforts to improve trade ties with African countries based on a win-win approach without neglecting its humanitarian responsibilities towards the continent." On his visits to India and Bangladesh, Gul said the Turkish businesspeople who accompanied him had had very fruitful talks with their Indian and Bangladeshi counterparts. "The results of those talks will be effectively pursued, and I believe they will bear fruit," he added.