Turkish Ambassador: The Sahara Dispute is ‘Purely Artificial’

The territorial integrity of Morocco is supported by Turkey, according to Omer Faruk Dogan, the Turkish Ambassador to Morocco, who also referred to the Sahara conflict as “purely artificial.”

In a recent interview, Dogan made his statement and emphasized the significance of Moroccan and Turkish diplomatic relations.

We are allies and strategic partners, two kin nations. The envoy stated that Morocco and Turkey have had a long-standing and close relationship that dates to the sixteenth century.

Dogan highlighted that the Sahara conflict is a concern for Turkey in his remarks on his nation’s stance on the issue.

The ambassador praised Morocco’s development initiatives in its southern regions and stated, “Because, in Turkey, we have a similar situation, and if there is anybody who genuinely knows the sentiment of the Moroccan authorities and people, it can only be the people and the Turkish authorities.”

He said that the dispute was created solely to serve the interests of outside forces who wanted to hinder the region’s growth.

In addition, Dogan shared his thoughts on the ongoing diplomatic dispute between Algeria and Morocco, stating that his nation is “willing to aid in the process of reconciliation” between the two nations.

In August 2021, Algeria broke diplomatic ties with Morocco, accusing Rabat of instigating the wildfires that broke out in the North African nation the previous year due to increasing temperatures. The “unfounded” accusations were dismissed by Morocco as “fallacies.”

Morocco has repeatedly emphasized its readiness to engage in frank and direct conversation to break the geopolitical stalemate and expressed regret over Algeria’s unilateral move to sever diplomatic ties with the two nations.

Instigating communication between the two nations “is not something simple, but we feel that we must dare and take the first step, because if we do not take the first step to conversation, we will never find an equal solution,” Dogan added.

Turkey is one of a significant list of countries that have reaffirmed their support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a genuine, serious, and workable foundation for resolving the Sahara conflict.

Mevlut Cavusoglu, the foreign minister of Turkey, updated the position of his nation during a visit to Rabat in May.

In addition, Cavusoglu reaffirmed Turkey’s support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Morocco, saying, “I would want to underline Turkey’s principled attitude in favor of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries.”