Algeria’s new Ambassador to Ankara Lahssan Boufares who presented his credentials to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 5, 2015 paid a courtesy visit to Minister of National Education Nabi Avcı.

Minister Avcı pointed out that in 2016 the 500th anniversary of relations between Turkey and Algeria will be marked and said “we have to celebrate it in the best possible way. We are preparing special programs to promote Algeria in Turkish schools. We want the schools in Algeria to mark this anniversary with similat programs.”

Minister Avcı said he visited Algeria with President Erdoğan when he was prime minister and added “an Algerian friend has said ‘We are Ottomans. You will fly the flag at sea, we will fly it on land.’ Hopefully we will perform well undertaking great deeds together.”

Touching upon educational issues between Algeria and Turkey Minister Avcı said according to the quotas earmarked for Algeria 13 students are involved in undergraduate studies, 36 post graduate studies and 36 are aiming for a PhD making it a total of 89 Algerian students at Turkish universities and as opposed to this 300 Turkish citizens are studying in Algeria.

Saying “this figure is too little in view of our 500 year old relationship” Minister Avcı added “both figures are too low. Let us hope we increase this figure during your term as ambassador in Ankara. We should be in close contact on education. We could develop excellent projects and cooperate on new educational technologies. We can develop joint contents within the scope of the FATİH Project.”

Minister Avcı also gave information about the activities of the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency in Algeria saying it is involved in the restoration work of the Ottoman works of art in Algeria, that the Keçiova Mosque in Algeria was restored by Turkey, that the Bey Sarayı and Pasha mosques were restored and the renovation and rehabilitation work of the Ottoman era Kasaba district was also undertaken by Turkey. 

Ambassador Lahssan Boufares said during this visit he felt “like I was in Algeria. It is as if I am at home. We want to further expand relations between Turkey and Algeria” and added that they are ready to cooperate especially in the field of education.