Central African Republic (CAR) Prime Minister Andre N’Zapayek called on Turkey to help develop his country during his visit to Turkey’s Foreign Economics Relations Board (DEIK) in Istanbul on Monday.

Following the African Energy Forum last week, which discussed the poor access to energy throughout sub-Saharan Africa, N’Zapayek made it clear that CAR suffers from a need to develop electricity, drinking water and survival essentials. N’Zapayek emphasized that the Turkish private sector has an important role to play in helping CAR to develop its infrastructure.

N'Zapayek assessed the recent calamity in CAR with regards to chaos and civil war between ‘anti-Balaka’ Christian militias and the Muslims who they have targeted for their alleged links to the previous Seleka regime. “Our country has been shaken with agony, the government has been seeking solutions for these clashes. Our country is living through difficult times, but despite everything, we are close to positive developments," N'Zapayek asserted.

CAR has a population of 4.5 million, and desperately needs investment in the agriculture and industry sectors. N'Zapayek said, "We have only 25 thousand kilometers of roads. Our country's petroleum resources are as yet untapped. We have capacity for 18 megawatts of hydroelectricity, mostly around Bangui, and experience 16 hours a day of electric outages. Drinking water access for the whole country is at only 30 per cent! We need access to the oceans, most particularly ports."

DEIK Vice Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu thanked N'Zapayeke for his visit to Turkey and expressed the regards of Turkey’s Prime Minister and the interest from the Turkish private sector. Zeytinoğlu added that Turkey aimed to help develop Africa in line with Turkey’s own targets for the centennial of the Turkish Republic in 2023.

Zeytinoğlu said, “Turkey gives great importance to the African continent, we do not see Africa as a conflict zone, but as an area to which humanity owes a great debt." Zeytinoğlu added that trade volume between Turkey and Africa in 2000 stood at $4 billion annually, but by the end of 2013 this had risen to $20 billion dollars, a rise explained by a model of mutual cooperation and benefit. Turkey has established bilateral business councils with 29 of Africa's 54 countries.

Turkey's Ambassador to Kinshasa (Congo) Bekir Uysal said Turkey is closely following events in the Central African Republic. Saying that CAR is central to Africa as well as of strategic importance, Uysal added, "We give much importance to the region's stability. Since the crisis began in that area, we have been delivering humanitarian aid. We have offered our support to the transitional government through the transition. We are committed to the establishment of security. If the Central African Republic gains stability, the entire African continent will benefit. "

CAR controls petroleum, uranium, gold and diamond mines. Uysal noted that the Turkish private sector should take the initiative for the processing of these minerals. Uysal said, "Central Africa offers foreign investors facilities not to be underestimated. We are talking about rare and strategically important elements: gold, diamonds, other precious metals as well as uranium, which holds an important place in in world politics. We believe that as the Republic of Turkey, we should not follow all these matters closely.”