Mali wants Turkish defense technology to build its own capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign partners, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said in an interview with Anadolu published Nov. 10.
Diop said buying advanced equipment alone would not meet Mali’s aims; it also wants technology transfer. He described defense and security as central to the country’s relationship with Türkiye and linked the request to developing capabilities at home.
His appeal extended beyond military cooperation. Diop encouraged Turkish companies to work in Mali’s energy, agriculture and health care sectors. He also called for more bilateral trade and closer ties between businesses in the two countries.
Diop spoke during the second Bamako International Defence and Security Exhibition, which opened Nov. 9. Anadolu said Mali’s Defense Ministry and Turkish company The Peak Defense organized the event. An inaugural exhibition was held last year, Anadolu reported.
Air travel was another part of Diop’s account of the relationship. He said Turkish Airlines had temporarily suspended flights to Bamako and expressed hope that service would resume. Diop described air links as important to cooperation between Mali and Türkiye.
Diop also addressed Mali’s regional ties through the Alliance of Sahel States. He said the alliance and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are working toward a framework for their relations, with the movement of people and goods a priority. The Sahel states do not plan to rejoin ECOWAS, he said.
The talks follow the Sahel states’ 2025 exit from ECOWAS. Earlier discussions of a framework also covered security and terrorism, according to Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye.
The Bamako exhibition is scheduled to end Nov. 13.
