Senegalese Prime Minister Sonko Heads to Turkey for high-level discussions on strategic partnerships
Senegal's Prime Minister Visits Turkey, Signing Four Bilateral Agreements
Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko recently embarked on a visit to Turkey from August 6 to 11, at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The visit, marking a significant diplomatic engagement between the two nations, aimed to strengthen bilateral relations and reinforce the formal foundation of ties between Turkey and Senegal.
During the visit on August 7, 2025, four bilateral agreements were signed to enhance cooperation in the fields of defense, media, and education. The agreements were the result of talks between Turkish President Erdoğan and Sonko at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
- The Military Financial Cooperation Agreement was signed by Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Senegalese Armed Forces Minister Birame Diop. This agreement aims to boost financial collaboration in military matters.
- The Agreement on Co-Production and Cooperation in Film, Audiovisual and Multimedia was signed by Turkey’s Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and Senegal’s Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs Yassine Fall. The focus of this agreement is on joint media production and creative cooperation.
- The Memorandum of Understanding on Higher Education Cooperation (2025–2028) was signed between Türkiye’s Council of Higher Education (YOK) and Senegal’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. This agreement promotes collaboration in higher education for the specified period.
- The First Amendment Protocol to the Cash Assistance Implementation was also signed as part of the military financial cooperation framework (initially agreed in 2020), enhancing mechanisms of financial support.
These agreements reflect a broader agenda of expanding ties, with goals to increase trade volume initially to $1 billion and ultimately to $3 billion, with cooperation touching various sectors such as investment, energy, transportation, agriculture, and fisheries.
The visit also saw clear political support, as Erdoğan praised Senegal's solidarity with Palestine and highlighted growing defense cooperation and counter-terrorism efforts. The visit marked a strategic step in deepening the Türkiye–Senegal partnership across multiple domains.
The discussions between Erdogan and Sonko addressed bilateral relations across all dimensions and included exchanges of views on regional and international issues. The key bilateral meetings are scheduled to take place on Thursday, Aug. 7, with comprehensive bilateral discussions planned for the same day.
The visit underscores the growing importance of Turkish-African relations, with Senegal being a West African nation. The visit signifies a response to an invitation from President Erdogan during a specified date range, and officials will assess potential steps to deepen the strategic partnership-level cooperation between Turkey and Senegal.
[1] Turkish and Senegalese Officials to Sign Four Bilateral Agreements
[2] Senegal's Prime Minister to Visit Turkey for Bilateral Talks
[3] Turkey and Senegal to Sign Four Bilateral Agreements
[4] Turkey and Senegal to Deepen Strategic Partnership
[5] Turkey and Senegal Strengthen Ties During Prime Minister's Visit
- Turkish and Senegalese officials are set to sign four bilateral agreements following Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko's visit to Turkey, as invited by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, aiming to enhance cooperation in defense, media, education, and military financial matters.
- The bilateral agreements signed during the visit between Turkish President Erdoğan and Senegal's Prime Minister Sonko include the Military Financial Cooperation Agreement, Agreement on Co-Production and Cooperation in Film, Audiovisual and Multimedia, Memorandum of Understanding on Higher Education Cooperation (2025–2028), and the First Amendment Protocol to the Cash Assistance Implementation, focusing on collaboration across various sectors such as trade, investment, energy, transportation, agriculture, and fisheries.
- The four bilateral agreements aim to strengthen Türkiye-Senegal partnership across multiple domains, with goals to increase trade volume and cooperation touching various sectors such as investment, energy, transportation, agriculture, and fisheries.
- The visit and subsequent agreements between Turkey and Senegal mark a significant step in deepening the strategic partnership-level cooperation between the two nations, signifying a strategic response to the invitation from President Erdogan and a strategic move in growing Turkish-African relations.
