Africa-Press – Uganda. The State Minister for Foreign Affairs Henry Oryem has hailed the Turkish community for championing Foreign Direct Investment in Uganda.
Oryem, who was speaking during the 100th anniversary of Turkey as secular republic, says this helps to boost economic development.
Over 100 delegates from Turkey and Uganda converged in Kampala to celebrate 100 years of Turkey as a secular republic.
Okello Oryem Okello hailed the Turkish community for investing in Uganda which has led to the development of many sectors from manufacturing to education.
He said, “As you celebrate your 100th anniversary, I would like to say thank you for investing in our country Uganda, many have got jobs and some have improved their lives.”
Ambassador to Uganda for Turkey Mehmet Fatih AK
The Ambassador to Uganda for Turkey Mehmet Fatih AK re-echoed that the anniversary has come at a time when the two nations are harmonising travel requirements between the two countries, saying this is the right time to champion the initiative.
“Uganda and Turkey are harmonising visa restrictions among themselves to allow free movement among ourselves,” Mehmet said.
Ambassador Mehmet expressed his profound happiness at the event, “It is my great pleasure and honor to welcome you all to the Turkish National Day Reception, marking the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye.
It is with utmost joy and pride we are celebrating the centenary of our Republic.“
He remembered the difficulties that they underwent to achieve this milestone, “
The founder of our Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and his comrades-in-arms, all the brave men and women, heroes and fighters, started an independence war in 1919, which ended with the establishment of the Republic in 1923 and made it possible for us today to celebrate 100th anniversary of our independence.
Please allow me to commemorate them for their incredible leadership and unwavering resolve. We have come a long way in 100 years. Türkiye is now entering its second century with a vision, its hard-working people, and a vibrant economy.”
He celebrated Turkey’s close relationship with Uganda by reminding the invited guests of their long standing collaboration.
He said, “
The bilateral trade volume between our countries reached 94 million US dollars as of 2022, which is far behind reflecting the true potential of our countries. Together with the relevant Ugandan authorities and the Ugandan Embassy in Ankara, we are working closely to increase the number of reciprocal visits of business delegations. Taking this opportunity, I thank Ambassador NusuraTiperu for her sincere efforts to this end.
– Infrastructure development is the key to Uganda’s welfare and prosperity. Therefore, we are happy and proud of our construction companies’ contribution to this end so far and expect new ones.
• Kolin İnşaat completed the Hoima-Kaiso Tonya road
• Gülsan is building Apac-Lira-Pranga road
• Polatyol is building Myumbe-Nakapriprit road
• Yapı Merkezi will begin the Malaba-Kampala Standart Gauge Railway soon, which I believe will be a game-changer not only for Uganda but also for the whole East Africa region.
• And most recently, Summa, another Turkish company that proved itself in Africa like Yapı Merkezi, is now working on building a multipurpose sports arena in Kampala.
– Turkish Coordination and Development Agency TİKA has been doing a great job concerning development assistance. They have completed over 70 projects in Uganda in various fields so far, and currently, they are working on new ones.
– Our support for Uganda’s development is not limited to TİKA. Various Turkish NGOs have been active in Uganda for a long time, and their work has been welcomed and appreciated in almost all corners of Uganda.
– Also, we are proud and pleased with our flag carrier Turkish Airlines, for their daily İstanbul-Entebbe-İstanbul flights. These flights are boosting our bilateral relations in all fields and connecting Uganda to the rest of the world via İstanbul.
– Last but not least… We have provided more than 15 thousand scholarships for African students so far, 346 of whom are Ugandans. For the 2023-24 education year, we granted 21 scholarships to Ugandan students for their undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctorate-level studies in Türkiye. I hope we will be able to increase this number next year.”
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