Ambassadors of Turkey to Africa visited the African Handicrafts and Culture House

Ambassadors of Turkey to Africa visited the African Handicrafts and Culture House.

The 14th Ambassadors' Conference was held at the African Handicrafts and Culture House in Hamamönü under the patronage of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife Emine Erdoğan.

In her speech here, Zeliha Sağlam, President of the African Culture House, stated that the African Culture House, which was established in 2016, carries out four main activities.

Stating that the first of these is "product sales", Sağlam said that the aim is to recycle the handmade products of African women by transporting them to the Turkish market without any profit motive.

At the same time, Sağlam said, projects are being developed to empower African women and children.

Stating that other activities include the African coffee house, academic studies, cultural and artistic activities, Sağlam said that products sent from 34 countries take place in the culture house.

Sağlam told the ambassadors about the activities of the African Handicrafts and Culture House so far and the academic seminars organized.

Africa House contributes to cultural rapprochement between Africa and Turkey
Turkey's Ambassador to Pretoria Ayşegül Kandaş told AA that it is very important to exhibit and sell works of art and souvenirs produced by African women.

Stating that the exhibition of these products brings South Africa and Turkey closer to each other, Kandaş said, "We train women small and medium-sized enterprises and women entrepreneurs at the head of these enterprises through TIKA. TIKA provides trainings to women on e-commerce, start-ups and doing business."

Kandaş said that 120 women have received training so far in order to support these women and that the products of African women are purchased and delivered to Africa House.

Kandaş noted the following:

"I think Africa House makes an important contribution to the cultural rapprochement between the two sides. It is very important in terms of introducing South Africa and Africa in general to the Turkish public. It is also an important factor in the flow of tourists here and the flow of tourists from our country to South Africa."

"The African House of Culture has the goal and mission of creating resources for disadvantaged groups"
Turkey's Ambassador to Algeria Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mücahit Küçükyılmaz also told AA correspondent that he had visited the African Culture House before and said, "Now I have seen that it has become a much more comprehensive and wide place opened to many more African countries. My wife was more interested in this place than me."

Stating that his wife is interested in African culture, Küçükyılmaz said: "My appointment as Ambassador to Algeria is a new event, and we will continue to be in closer contact with the African House, especially through my wife."

Küçükyılmaz noted that Turkey has undertaken the important mission of introducing the ethnic and cultural richness and diversity in Africa to Turkey and that this is not limited to the mission of introduction.

"The African House of Culture also has the goal and mission of creating resources for disadvantaged groups in Africa. We will continue to work within the framework of this mission." Küçükyılmaz also touched upon Turkey-Africa bilateral relations.

Küçükyılmaz pointed out that until 2006, there was a disproportion between Africa and Turkey that was not in line with the deep-rooted historical relations between the two countries, and reminded that an African opening was launched under the leadership of President Erdoğan in 2006.

Küçükyılmaz continued his words as follows:

"In this framework, our missions and representative offices started to operate in various countries of Africa. Today, we have missions in 40-45 of 54 African countries. Our citizens, people who are interested in Turkey, can find an interlocutor at any time. Turkey is gradually becoming an influential and powerful actor in Africa. While doing this, Turkey is also undertaking the task of healing the wounds of the bitter colonial experiences that Africa went through in the past.

Turkey and our president introduced the concept of humanitarian diplomacy into the literature. In this context, Turkey has been recognized several times by the United Nations (UN) as the highest donor country and the largest donor country in proportion to national income."

08.08.2023