Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – The Turkish ambassador to Algeria, Muhammet Mucahit Kucukyılmaz, recently extolled the ties between Algeria and Ankara, recalling that between 5% and 20% of Algerians are of Turkish origin.
In an interview with the Anadolu agency, the ambassador said Turkiye’s footprints in Algeria are recognized by family names, like Sari, Kara, Barutchi, and Telci, with some descending from the Kouloughlis – a community of people from Ottoman-Turkish and North African descent.
Turkiye and Algeria share a complex history, dating back centuries to the period of the Ottoman Empire.
For over 300 years, Algeria was part of the Ottoman Empire, which left lasting social influences, including family names that trace back to Turkish soldiers and administrators, like the Kouloughlis, descendants of Janissaries.
French colonization cut the history short between 1830 and 1962.
According to the Turkish ambassador, “it feels like being in the Suleymaniye or Faith districts of Istanbul” when you walk through Algeria’s kasbah.
“The only difference is that here, in addition to the Ottoman heritage, you also breathe the scent of Andalusia,” he added.
He also recalled that Ottoman circumstances previously impacted the “close” bilateral ties between Ankara and Algiers. He, however, emphasized that Turkiye was among the first to recognize Algeria after its independence in 1962.
Before recognizing Algeria, Turkiye had voted against the country’s independence in the UN General Assembly in 1955, and also abstained from voting in 1957, 1958, and 1959.
“The wartime independence movement interpreted Turkiye’s abstention as support for France, although Turkiye’s position derived from the need to stand by its North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” according to the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.
The Turkish ambassador emphasized how ties have strengthened between the two countries through cooperation at various levels, like trade and education.
In terms of transportation connections, he also said weekly flights between the two countries have risen from 35 to 80.
Additionally, around 1,600 Turkish companies are operating in Algeria, with $7.7 billion in investments. Trade volume exceeded $6.5 billion, with a target of $10 billion, the ambassador added.
He also announced new projects that his country will open in Algeria, including a branch of the Turkish Agricultural Bank and a new consulate general that was inaugurated recently in Oran.
“When these projects are completed, not only will our relations be stronger, but our friendship will rest on even firmer foundations. In truth, we are carrying a shared historical legacy of 316 years into a more prosperous future,” he stated.
