Buhari, Turkish president meet in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his Turkish counterpart, at the state house in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Erdogan arrived in the nation’s capital city on Tuesday evening.

Both leaders are expected to hold bilateral meetings and consider about 24 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs).

Nigeria and Turkey have maintained relatively good diplomatic relations under the two presidents.

Erdogan first visited Buhari in 2016 shortly after surviving a coup attempt in Turkey.

Some rebel soldiers made an attempt to seize power but they failed.

At the time, Buhari praised some citizens in the country who in the face of guns and tanks defied rebel soldiers and forced them to abandon their quest for power.

“Democracy provides peaceful options of changing governments through the ballot box,” Buhari was quoted to have said by Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, when the Turkish president visited.

“The ballot box doesn’t require violence to remove any government perceived to have lost its popularity and public support.

“Despite its limitations, democracy is still better and more durable than a violent change of government.”