Omar Touray, president of the ECOWAS Commission, has called on Turkey to step up its support to the sub-regional body’s efforts toward curbing the scourge of terrorism in West Africa.

Mr Touray made the plea when the outgoing Turkish ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Hidayet Bayraktar, paid him a farewell visit at the commission’s headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja.

Turkey, being ECOWAS’ privileged partner, Africa’s major partner, and a global power, Mr Touray urged the country to continue stepping up its efforts to support peace, unity and security in West Africa.

Mr Touray recalled the multifaceted approaches that ECOWAS and the UN had embarked on, which aimed to combat insecurity and terrorism in the sub-region, stressing that West Africa’s greatest challenge was insecurity.

The commission’s president lauded the Turkish ambassador’s commitment and support to ECOWAS throughout his tour of duty and his country’s role in the development of West Africa.

He, however, noted the need to engage in deliberate, collaborative efforts toward promoting peace and security, which he described as indispensable to developing a sub-region.

“ECOWAS’s major challenge is insecurity, and none of its member states can face it alone. If we are not united, we cannot combat this threat. Unity and collective collaboration are essential to preserve peace and stability in West Africa,” Mr Touray added.

Mr Bayraktar reiterated Turkey’s commitment to deepen its support for ECOWAS’ efforts in tackling the challenges of violent extremism and terrorism, as well as promote peace, security and stability.

The Turkish envoy also lauded the prevailing excellent cooperation between his country and ECOWAS and appreciated Touray’s contributions and efforts, which, he said, helped deepen the cooperation.

Mr Bayraktar noted the need for further collaborative efforts to explore other avenues of effectively combating the scourges of insecurity and terrorism within the ECOWAS sub-region.

The visit marked the end of Mr Bayraktar’s tour of duty as Turkish ambassador to Nigeria with concurrent accreditation to ECOWAS.

(NAN)