Turkish Republic Day lights up Brazzaville
Fireworks of national colours and kora melodies welcomed guests to the Turkish Republic Day reception hosted by Ambassador Hilmi Ege Türemen in Brazzaville. The 29 October evening celebrated one hundred and two years of modern Turkey and, above all, a friendship with Congo that diplomats describe as constantly deepening.
Minister for International Cooperation and Public-Private Partnership Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso joined business leaders, teachers and alumni to hear the envoy’s keynote. Applause rose when he thanked Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Denis Sassou Nguesso for steering a partnership, both forward-looking, inclusive and environmentally sustainable, that, in the ambassador’s words, aims at ‘mutual development and people’s wellbeing’.
More Türkiye scholarships for Congolese youth
Education took center stage. Ambassador Türemen announced that Ankara intends to ‘significantly increase’ the number of Türkiye Bursları grants awarded to Congolese students in coming years. Twenty-six learners already left for Istanbul and Ankara this academic season, joining a diaspora of engineers, medics and translators formed since 1992.
Diplomatical sources explain that the scholarship budget is shaped annually by Turkey’s Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities, but African allocations have grown steadily these past five years. ‘Congo’s demand is high, results are convincing; we want to respond,’ one counsellor confided on the sidelines of the reception.
Extra grants could open seats in disciplines aligned with Congo’s development priorities such as renewable energy, port logistics and digital agriculture. Returning graduates are expected to reinforce public agencies or start companies, a model already visible through young architects who studied in Izmir and now design affordable housing in Makélékélé.
Maarif School grows into regional flagship
In Brazzaville’s leafy Plateau des Quinze Ans district, the Turkish-Congolese Maarif International School started 2023-2024 with more than 580 pupils, up from 420 two years ago. Classrooms mix modern smartboards with lingala posters, while the canteen alternates saka-saka with börek, symbolising the cultural bridge headmaster Ahmet Turkal proudly defends.
The school already prepares students for both the baccalauréat and Turkey’s YKS university exam. According to the ambassador, a strategic plan validated by Congo’s Education Ministry foresees a second campus in Pointe-Noire and scholarships for girls interested in science streams, ensuring equal access across regions and social backgrounds.
Training police and connecting Parliaments
Security cooperation also gained momentum. Ten Congolese cadets are currently enrolled at the Turkish National Police Academy under a dedicated fellowship. Courses cover cybercrime, crowd management and community policing, skills praised by Inspector Jean-Michel Bangana, who returned last year and now mentors trainees at the General Directorate of National Security.
Beyond uniforms, lawmakers will soon meet face-to-face. Members of the Turkey-Congo interparliamentary friendship group are expected in Ankara next month for their inaugural visit. Observers see the mission as a step toward joint committees on education, trade and climate that could accelerate the ratification of pending bilateral accords.
Deputy Gilberte Othiene, part of the Congolese delegation, told us she hopes to ‘exchange on student employability and women’s entrepreneurship.’ Turkish MPs, meanwhile, plan to showcase vocational schools in Konya that blend training with apprenticeships, a model Congo’s Chamber of Commerce evaluates for local adaptation in Brazzaville and Dolisie.
Economy, transport and a shared vision
Commercial dialogue mirrors educational synergy. In June, Turkey signed a memorandum to enhance transport connectivity with seven African states, including Congo, during the Global Transport Connectivity Forum in Istanbul. Both capitals argue that smoother corridors will lower import costs and attract investors to planned industrial zones around Pointe-Noire.
Turkish contractors already supply modern, air-conditioned buses for Trans-Brazzaville and negotiate a central maintenance hub near Maya-Maya Airport. Economists at the University Marien Ngouabi note that every additional flight by Turkish Airlines injects cargo capacity for Congolese fruit exporters and reduces travel time for scholarship holders commuting during semester breaks.
Looking ahead, the fourth Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit, slated for Libya in early 2024, should outline fresh credit lines for small firms and green energy. Brazzaville’s delegation intends to propose a joint incubator that would link Congolese start-ups with Turkish mentor companies active in textiles, fintech and agritech.
Diplomacy guided by Atatürk’s peace credo
Ambassador Türemen repeatedly quoted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s motto ‘Peace at home, peace in the world.’ He stressed that Turkey supports ceasefires in conflict zones and promotes dialogue, a stance warmly acknowledged by Congolese officials who underline their own country’s tradition of mediation within the Central African region.
Citing Syria and the eastern Mediterranean, the envoy presented Ankara’s diplomacy as bridge-building rather than interventionist. He praised Congo’s vote for peaceful resolutions at the United Nations, arguing that mid-size states working together can amplify calls for humanitarian corridors, balanced development and respect for national sovereignty everywhere.
As guests tasted lokum beside plates of beignets, the programme closed with a video message from President Erdogan, pledging to ‘walk the road of progress with our Congolese brothers and sisters.’ Judging by the smiles and business cards exchanged, many in Brazzaville believe that promise is already taking shape.
