Rabat, Morocco (TMT)- Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Morocco, Omar Faruk Dogan, following pressure from the Algerian authorities due to statements he made in support of the territorial integrity of Morocco.
The Turkish ambassador in Morocco was recalled amid Algerian anger over statements he made at the end of last year, in which he expressed his country’s support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and described the Western Sahara conflict as completely artificial and serving the interests of third parties that aim to hinder development in the region.
During an interview, the Turkish ambassador said that Turkey supports fair development in the region and wants the neighboring countries to sit down and reach a compromise.
Dogan said back then that Turkey sees “the Western Sahara conflict as completely artificial and serving the interests of third parties whose goal is to impede development in the region,” stressing that “the Western Sahara problem hurts us because in Turkey we have a similar problem. If there is anyone who truly understands the feelings of the Moroccan authorities and people, it is the Turkish people.”
Dogan added: “We support fair development in the region and believe that this is a purely artificial conflict that benefits third parties whose goal is to impede development in the region, including Morocco.”
The decision to recall the Turkish ambassador is seen by some observers as an attempt to appease one of its major partners in North Africa, Algeria, which is the second-largest trading partner of Turkey in Africa.
The Moroccan Times.
