The Minister of Sports Development Senator John Owan Enoh on Thursday canvased for improved areas of cooperation and collaboration between Nigeria and Turkey in the areas of sports promotion and development for the mutual benefit of both countries.
Receiving Hidayet Bayraktar, the Turkish ambassador to Nigeria and Imdat Karakoc the Deputy Head of Mission in audience during a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja, the minister observed that Nigeria and Turkey have enjoyed cordial bilateral relations spanning several years.
He stressed that both countries share a lot of things in common especially in the area of football and looked forward to greater collaborations between both countries in this regard.
Senator John Enoh stated that both countries should explore and expand more frontiers in order to create opportunities for the teaming youth for self development.
Earlier in his remarks, the Turkish ambassador who lauded the new energy injected into the Nigerian sports ecosystem by Senator Owan Enoh formally invited the minister to attend the 6th Ethno Sports Forum slated to take place in Turkey come February.
Hidayet BayRaktar stated that Nigeria and Turkey have a shared interest in ethno sports especially in archery and other ethno sports adding that there are several sports that both countries can collaborate in for mutual benefits.
The ambassador noted that Nigerian internationals – Emmanuel Emenike, Joseph Yobo and Austin J.J.Okocha made their marks in Turkey.
He expressed the hope that the sports ministry under the leadership of Senator Owan Enoh will usher in a new era of unprecedented cooperation between both countries.
The Minister of Sports referenced the notable presence of Nigerian athletes at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon South Korea, where Nigeria emerged as the only African Nation to qualify and participate, which is an indication of Nigerian athletes breaking new grounds in sports and a show of other great possibilities in the future.
