By Felix Tih

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a four-day, three-country visit to eastern and southern Africa from Jan. 22 to Jan. 25, a statement from the Presidential Press Office said Tuesday.

Erdogan will first visit Tanzania on Jan. 22-23, followed by Mozambique on Jan. 23-24. He will then proceed to Madagascar on Jan. 24-25.

The Turkish president visited Senegal in February 2016, followed by Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Guinea in April, and Uganda, Kenya and Somalia in May and June.

During his latest visits to Africa, Erdogan vowed to boost Turkish-African relations.

"The growing cooperation between Turkey and Africa shows that a lot can be accomplished by engaging our partners genuinely and finding solutions that serve the interests of both sides," Erdogan said in June 2016.

"It also sends a strong message about Africa's true potential to the world," he added.

When Erdogan was prime minister, Ankara declared 2005 the Year of Africa, Turkey was accorded observer status by the African Union, and Turkey’s official policy of "opening to Africa" gained new momentum.