Turkey’s deep-rooted ties with North African countries should be revived, say academics at Istanbul symposiumBy Nilay Kar OnumISTANBULAfrican and Turkish academics explored ways to further improve ties during an international symposium held in Istanbul on Thursday amid transformations in the region. Academics, scholars, think thank representatives and intellectuals from 15 countries took part in the two-day symposium, titled Society and Politics in North Africa: Transformations and Challenges, held at Istanbul University. “We, as the Republic of Turkey, can have further cooperation with these [North African] countries, particularly in the field of education,” he added. Turkey declared 2005 as the “Year of Africa” and Turkey was accorded observer status by the African Union during the same year. On Friday’s sessions, academics will discuss the energy and geopolitics of North Africa, foreign policy in North Africa and immigration in North African countries.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 27, 2018 13:07 UTC