Turkey has delivered another 17 Otokar Cobra armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to The Gambia Armed Forces, under a Military Financial Cooperation Agreement.
The vehicles arrived by sea before being handed over on 14 January to President Adama Barrow at the Presidential Palace. Major-General Fethi Oltulu, Chief of Logistic Division at the Turkish General Staff, represented Turkey at the ceremony. Turkey’s Ambassador to Gambia Fahri Turker Oba was also present.
The vehicles, apparently worth about $4 million, are fitted with machinegun turrets, and will be used for Gambia’s contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations.
Turkey and Gambia have enjoyed close ties for decades. Since 1965, both countries have maintained good relations bilaterally and multilaterally, especially at the United Nations and Islamic Cooperation Organization. Turkish military officers have provided training since the 1990s and between 1991 and 2007, Turkish military trainers trained around 7 000 Gambian soldiers. After the expiry of the training agreement between two countries in 2007, Gambian troops started receiving training in Turkey and since then, hundreds of Gambian soldiers have visited Turkey for training.
In 2014, defence cooperation was further deepened, and the Gambia Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey signed a bilateral agreement for the provision of logistical assistance to the Gambia Armed Forces. Turkey also donated $600 000 to help Gambia with its peacekeeping mission in Mali and other logistical issues.
In April 2022, Turkey provided security equipment to Gambia that included shields, gas masks, radios and other items. Other donations have included thousands of uniforms, tents, water bottles and other equipment. In 2019 it was announced that Turkey had provided $1.4 million in military assistance to The Gambia, the content of which was not disclosed.
Two Katmerciler Hizir armoured vehicles arrived from Turkey in Gambia in 2022, with a contract apparently in place for 20 vehicles.
In September 2023, Turkey supplied a consignment of military hardware to Gambia, including two Otokar Cobra armoured personnel carriers, high frequency (HF) Radios, mine detectors, uniforms, winter jackets, rain coats and combat boots, amongst others.
Gambia has a very small military, with only a handful of Ferret scour cars and M-20 armoured cars previously known to be in service.
