City buses gifted to Guinea start running in Conakry
A fleet of buses Turkey gifted Guinea are now plying the streets of the capital Conakry, the Turkish ambassador said.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Hatice Nur Sağman, head of the Turkish diplomatic mission in Guinea, said that some of the buses provided by the Turkish government started running in Conakry as of August 1, while the rest of the buses would start their service soon.
Fifty city buses were presented by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Guinean President Alpha Conde during a visit to Guinea in March 2016.
"The buses along with spare parts started being delivered by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality with the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) to the competent authorities in the country in July 2016," she said.
Sağman noted that the operations and management of the buses were given to a Turkish company in accordance with an agreement made with the Conakry Municipality.
"The buses were foreseen to be used by 6,000 people but reached 10,000 passengers due to the intense interest of the people," she added.
Sağman emphasized that this act will strengthen friendly relations between the two countries and open the way for more comprehensive joint projects in the future.
TIKA's Guinea Coordinator Ismail Gurlek said that after the maintenance, repair and technical training provided by the Turkish expert team, the 20 buses with the pilot scheme started its 28-kilometer route from Autonome Port of Conakry to Dabompa.
Turkish students are volunteering in Niger and Tanzania as part of a Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA)'s 2018 Experience Sharing Program program.In Niger, they carried out an activity at the Koure Giraffe Park, which was recently renovated by TIKA.The volunteer team is visiting conservation parks in capital Niamey where they are getting to learn about animals facing danger of extinction.Video: Turkish students begin voluntary work in DjiboutiTurgut Gazigil, volunteer team head, told Anadolu Agency the experience had helped him understand the wildlife situation better, especially after he witnessed a number of infrastructures made by Turkey around the city."All these services built in Niger by Turkey is an indication that it only aims to benefit humanity. People of Niger are very friendly with the Turkish people," he said.Another group of Turkish volunteer students under the same TIKA program is in Tanzania where they visited the Abdulrahman Al-Sumait Memorial (SUMAIT) University and Turkey Maarif Foundation (TMV) July 15 Martyrs complex in Zanzibar island.Turkish students begin voluntary work in NigerProf. Dr. Amran Rasli, the Malaysian rector of the SUMAIT University, which is one of the three universities on the island, welcomed the Turkish students.Rasil highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship, agriculture, and education projects in eradicating poverty in the country. He also spoke about the possibility of his university to organize a mutual experience sharing program and an English lesson camp for Turkish students.The volunteers also visited the Haci Ayse Var College of TMV July 15 Martyrs complex and met Mustafa Uzun, the college director. The students also visited a museum in the old Slave Market jointly with Tanzanian students.Turkish students also carried out volunteer work in Djibouti under the same TIKA program.Turkish aid agency opens well in CameroonThe volunteers provided 80 hygiene and personal care sets, and 40 bags of first-aid kits to villagers, who were also given training on how to use the items.TIKA, Turkish Airlines, Anadolu Agency and Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) have jointly organized the "2018 Experience Sharing Program".TIKA will send some 500 Turkish students from 117 universities to 30 countries between July 29 and Sept. 8, within the framework of its 2018 Experience Sharing Program. The students will take part in nearly 100 projects and activities in their host countries.Turkish students to visit 30 countriesThe program covers various countries of the world such as Niger, Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Djibouti, Chad, Morocco, Ghana, Georgia, Cameroon, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Colombia, Lebanon, Macedonia, Mozambique, Namibia, Uzbekistan, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Jordan, Moldova and South Africa.
Turkish students volunteer in Niger, Tanzania, Djibouti
Gürlek also added that TIKA is working hard to realize more useful projects in the country.
During Erdoğan's visit to Guinea, nine agreements were signed between the two countries in the fields of tourism, aviation, medicine, military, electricity, hydrocarbons, mining, environmental control and works council.
Guinea was the last stop in Erdoğan's four-nation tour of West Africa. He visited the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria before arriving in Guinea in 2016.
Nearly 150 Turkish businesspeople joined Erdoğan during his tour.