Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to visit Algeria for strategic talks

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay an official visit to Algeria on April 20–21, where he is scheduled to co-chair the third meeting of the Türkiye-Algeria Joint Planning Group (JPG) alongside his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

The visit is expected to highlight Ankara’s deepening ties with Algeria, one of its most significant trade and energy partners in Africa.

Fidan is also expected to be received by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and officially inaugurate Türkiye’s new consulate in Oran.

Strategic agenda includes energy, defense, and high-level cooperation

During his two-day visit, Fidan is expected to review preparations for the upcoming High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) meeting, which will be held during President Tebboune’s anticipated visit to Türkiye.

He will also address the negotiation of new bilateral agreements aimed at strengthening the legal framework of Türkiye-Algeria relations.

The discussions are expected to focus on boosting bilateral trade volume, with the target of reaching $10 billion, up from the $6.42 billion recorded in 2024.

Emphasis will also be placed on expanding cooperation in energy, a key component of Ankara’s energy security diversification strategy, as well as exploring defense industry partnerships based on mutual benefit.

Minister Fidan will also exchange views on regional and global developments, particularly the situations in the Sahel, Libya, Syria, and Gaza.

Strengthening diplomatic and economic ties

Fidan last met with Minister Attaf on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Johannesburg on Feb. 21, 2025, while Attaf recently participated in the fourth Antalya Diplomacy Forum held April 11–13.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visits to Algeria in 2018 and 2020 significantly boosted bilateral relations. During the 2020 visit, the two countries agreed to establish the High-Level Cooperation Council, whose first meeting was held in Ankara on May 16, 2022, during Tebboune’s official visit to Türkiye. That session resulted in the signing of 15 agreements and a joint declaration.

The JPG, as the council’s follow-up mechanism, first convened in Algiers in December 2022, followed by its second session in Ankara in September 2023.

Algeria: A key partner for Türkiye in Africa

Algeria is Türkiye’s top trade partner in Africa, and a major supplier in Türkiye’s energy import diversification strategy.

There are currently around 1,400 Turkish firms operating in Algeria, including 60 construction companies. Direct Turkish investments in the country amount to $6 billion.