“We are all excited about the visit of the prime minister [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]; we think the visits are going to continue and consolidate relations, which are already very good,” said Tebogo Seokolo, the South African ambassador to Turkey, in an interview with Today's Zaman last week.

Although he pointed to a growing diplomatic connection between the countries, the ambassador acknowledged there was great room for Turkey and South Africa to develop their current relations, which in time might turn into high-level council meetings and fuel the momentum between the regional powers.

Noting that the purpose of Erdoğan's visit was not to sign new agreements between the countries but rather to assess the implementation of current agreements signed between South Africa and Turkey, Seokolo stated that Turkey and South Africa were looking to devise a mechanism that could follow on the delivery of existing ties. “Establishing effective intergovernmental coordination is a must if you like to have a structure that continuously monitors implementation of existing agreements to identify new opportunities -- that would in return require new agreements to be signed,” he said, adding, “Unless you build it [the monitoring structure], you are not going to have progress.”

Seokolo also highlighted the importance of the August visit by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in drawing the countries closer and readying both for even higher-level relations. The ambassador suggested that Davutoğlu's visit was a historic one, since according to the embassy records, it was “the first official engagement at foreign ministerial level from either party up to date.” The ambassador also added that Davutoğlu's visit carried great significance because it paved the way and “set the tone” for the visit of the prime minister.

Stressing that both Turkey and South Africa are involved extensively in a number of international issues both in their respective regions and in the context of the UN, Seokolo noted, “It is only logical and necessary that these great nations should from time to time meet at diplomatic levels to exchange notes and share perspectives,” and expressed hope that the countries could cooperate to confront global challenges facing the world today. “As we engage with each other further, we realize that your friends are also our friends,” Seokolo said in words that showed the countries have the capability to cooperate regarding their relations with third parties, both in diplomatic and economic fields.

The foreign ministries of both countries have arranged for Erdoğan to deliver a speech at a meeting where South African think tanks, diplomats and scholars will be present to hear Erdoğan's assessment of Turkish foreign policy regarding developments in the Middle East as well as global issues. No exact date has yet been set for the address.

South Africa is looking to benefit from Turkish business experience, being a country with a great supply of raw materials but short on developed industries that could reap the full benefits of the raw wealth of the country, the ambassador noted on the financial sidelines. He also expressed the belief that the two countries' industries complemented each other and that the economies of the two were naturally complementary, and there was great potential for businesspeople from both sides to invest in each other and cooperate with the corresponding companies and industries.

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