Turkish Ambassador in Algiers: “Our Relations Span 316 Years, and Together We Are Building a Stronger Future”
✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers, September 2025 – Algiers and Ankara continue to deepen their long-standing ties, as Turkish Ambassador to Algeria, Muhammet Mücahit Küçükyılmaz, highlighted the unique depth and future promise of bilateral relations in an interview with Anadolu Agency marking two years of his tenure in Algiers. With a history that stretches back more than three centuries and converging political stances, the ambassador affirmed that the bonds between the two nations transcend diplomacy, reflecting a shared destiny and a vision for stronger cooperation.
Küçükyılmaz noted that while he had studied Algeria extensively before arriving, it was only upon setting foot in the country that he fully grasped the profound richness of the Algerian experience. He underscored Algeria’s vast geography, diverse climates, and immense cultural and economic potential, describing it as a land of both resilience and opportunity.
Shared History and National Pride
The ambassador emphasized the striking similarities between Algerian and Turkish societies. Both peoples, he remarked, are proud, free-spirited, and deeply attached to their homelands, having fought colonial domination with unyielding determination. Algeria’s painful decade of violence in the 1990s was noted as yet another chapter in its long history of overcoming adversity — a resilience that resonates with Turkey’s own past.
Cultural Affinities and Social Ties
Having visited 25 of Algeria’s 58 provinces, Küçükyılmaz celebrated the cultural wealth he encountered across the country, from culinary traditions to regional attire. He highlighted the deep commonalities between Algerian and Turkish cuisines, pointing to dishes like couscous, dolma, börek, and baklava as markers of a shared heritage. Likewise, parallels in traditional dress and artisanal crafts — from the Algerian caftan to Ottoman-era copper engravings — reinforce a cultural kinship rooted in centuries of exchange.
Architectural and Historical Heritage
The ambassador drew compelling comparisons between Algiers’ historic Casbah and Istanbul’s ancient neighborhoods such as Süleymaniye and Fatih. He stressed, however, that Algeria’s architectural legacy is distinct in blending Ottoman influences with Andalusian spirit, making it an unparalleled case in the Mediterranean world.
A Relationship Forged in Struggle and Solidarity
Reflecting on the period of French colonization, which he described as Algeria’s “years of dispossession,” Küçükyılmaz recalled the Ottoman Empire’s inability to maintain close ties during that era. Nonetheless, he underlined that Turkey was among the first to recognize Algeria’s independence in 1962, opening its embassy in Algiers the following year. He revealed historical details of Turkish support for the liberation movement, including the provision of arms to the Algerian resistance in coordination with Libya.
Political Alignment: Palestine at the Core
Political convergence between the two nations, Küçükyılmaz stressed, is perhaps most evident in their staunch support for Palestine. Algeria, which hosted the 1988 proclamation of the State of Palestine, continues to stand firmly alongside Turkey in denouncing the ongoing massacres in Gaza. For both countries, he said, the Palestinian cause is not merely a diplomatic issue but a moral imperative.
Expanding Economic and Educational Cooperation
On the economic front, the ambassador pointed to significant growth in bilateral trade, which surpassed $6.5 billion, with the ambition to reach $10 billion. He highlighted the presence of over 1,600 Turkish companies in Algeria, with investments amounting to $7.7 billion. In education, Turkey awarded scholarships to 79 Algerian students this year, alongside 200 more sent under the Algerian presidency’s program. He also referenced the expanding footprint of Turkish institutions such as the Maarif schools, the Yunus Emre Cultural Center, and the TIKA development agency.
Strengthening infrastructure for cooperation, Turkey opened a branch of its Ziraat Bank in Algiers in 2025, inaugurated a new consulate in Oran, and laid the foundation for a new embassy complex. Increased air connectivity — from 35 to 80 weekly flights — has further consolidated people-to-people ties, lowering travel costs and boosting mobility.
Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Küçükyılmaz affirmed that Algeria and Turkey are not only consolidating their political and economic partnership but also cultivating enduring bonds of friendship between their peoples. “We are carrying forward a legacy that stretches back 316 years,” he declared, “and we are transforming it into the foundation of a stronger, more prosperous future.”
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