Türkiye has completed 118 development projects in Namibia over the past decade, covering education, agriculture, health and capacity building, the Turkish ambassador to Namibia, Feral Çekerek Oruçkaptan, told President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah during a courtesy visit at State House yesterday.

Ambassador Oruçkaptan said the projects were carried out through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), which opened its regional office in Windhoek in 2014. She said the initiatives continue to make a real difference in several communities, including drought-hit areas.

“So far, TIKA have completed 118 projects in several sectors, including education, health, agriculture and institutional capacity building,” she said. She added that she recently attended handover ceremonies for projects in Henties Bay, Swakopmund and Windhoek, some of which were designed to help communities facing drought.

 The ambassador also highlighted TIKA’s support for vocational training and hospitality training for young people, saying these would help improve skills development in Namibia.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah welcomed the update and said Namibia values Türkiye’s consistent support, especially during difficult times.  She said TIKA’s presence in Windhoek as the regional office for southern Africa has brought development benefits not only to Namibia, but to neighbouring countries as well. “We appreciate that you decided on the TIKA headquarters to be in Windhoek for southern Africa. That helped us when you contributed to many of our educational programmes and even during the drought time,” she said.  The President also thanked Türkiye for its historic support of Namibia during the liberation struggle. “We know that your country was among the first countries that made up the UN Council for Namibia and supported the resolutions related to Namibia’s independence,” she said. 

Ambassador  Oruçkaptan, who is completing her third and final year in Namibia, used the visit to deliver congratulatory messages from the president of Turkey and share her country’s good wishes for Namibia’s upcoming elections.  The ambassador promised to deepen cooperation with Namibia, stating that the two countries have built a strong and historic relationship that will continue to grow, particularly through development projects and humanitarian support. She said her three years in Namibia have shown her the warmth of Namibians and the progress the two countries can achieve through partnership. “This is my last year in your beautiful country. I have to thank all government officials for showing us the hospitality of Namibia from the heart. We are here to elevate our relations to a higher level,” the ambassador said.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia looks forward to further strengthening cooperation, especially in development areas where Türkiye has already made a visible impact.