Ambassador Ayşe Saraç was received in audience Monday, July 15, 2019 by President Paul Biya at the Unity Palace. In accordance with costmary practice, the personal representative of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey submits to the Cameroonian sovereign the letter of recall of her predecessor and the instruments putting her in charge of Turkish diplomatic business in Cameroon.

In the heart-to-heart chat characteristic of diplomatic meetings, President Paul Biya underscored his government’s intention to continuously engage with Turkey in enhancing their already accelerated rapprochement epitomised by the Japoma Stadium. Turkey is one of Cameroon’s foremost development partners through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, TİKA. Both officials used the audience to review the rosy relations between the two friendly countries.

The Republic of Turkey is the latest country whose Ambassador designate has received the thumbs up to serve in Cameroon. The event at the Unity Palace was accompanied by all the trappings of dignified seriousness with an honours guard mounted in honour of Ambassador Ayşe Saraç.

She was acknowledged by Cameroon’s leader and some of President Biya’s close aides were introduced to her beginning with the Minister of State Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, the Minister of External Relation Lejeune Mbella Mbella, the Minister Director of the Civil Cabinet Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, the Head of the President’s Special Command Staff Air Force Brigadier General Amougou Emmanuel and the Commander of the Presidential Guard, Colonel Raymond Jean Charles Beko'o Abondo.

The Republic of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Turkey have over several decades enjoyed excellent diplomatic relations that entered a higher gear since March 2013 following President Paul Biya’s 3-day official visit to Turkey as the first Cameroonian Head of State to set foot on Turkish soil.

It was a historic visit that marked a turning point in Cameroon-Turkey relations and a significant rapprochement between President Biya and President Erdoğan. For the records, bilateral relations between Ankara and Yaoundé have witnessed an exponential development since President Paul Biya’s 2013 official visit resulting in the signing of several cooperation agreements in strategic areas such as security, health, education, infrastructural development and agriculture.

Turkey is accompanying Cameroon in her bid to become emergent by 2035. Recent statistics on trade deals between the two friendly states talk of bilateral trade volume of about 200 million US dollars in 2018 with a huge prospect of brighter days ahead.

Ambassador Ayşe Saraç who holds an intimidating academic and professional record is taking over from H.E. Hüsnü Murat ÜLKÜ at a time when bilateral relation between both countries is excellent and ambitious for the people of both countries. She left the Unity Palace clad with the dignity of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary after listening to her country’s national anthem for the first time on Cameroonian soil.