By Fatoumatta Joof
The Ministry of Interior on Monday, May 30th received a delegation from the Turkish National Police Academy (TNPA) led by Dr. Ufuk Ayhan.
The team with was in the country for a 5-day security assessment tour for the establishment of a police academy in the country. The move is as result of the cordial bilateral ties between the Republic of The Gambia and the Republic of Turkey.
Mr. Gibril Ngorr Secka, Adviser to the minister of Interior, received the delegation on behalf of the Minister. He thanked Dr. Ayhan and his team for their courtesy call on the Ministry. He affirmed that he has been working closely with the Turkish authorities in areas that are of mutual interest for both countries; especially with regard to security needs for the hosting of the OIC Summit in The Gambia, and capacity building for the Gambia Prison officers.
Mr Secka expressed admiration for the speed and urgency with which the Turkish authorities respond to the needs of The Gambia, and thanked the Turkish government for their support to The Gambia; especially in the area of security.
The Vice President of the Turkish National Police Academy and head of the delegation, Dr. Ufuk Ayhan affirmed Turkey’s willingness to support The Gambia at all times. He described the relationship between the two countries as brotherly – “a long-standing relationship which yielded lot of positive results”.
Mr Ayhan noted that their engagement with their Gambian counterparts will afford them the opportunity to exchange experiences especially in the area of international peacekeeping operations and missions. He added that Turkey is willing to learn from The Gambia’s experience in peacekeeping missions.
Superintendent Demba Sowe said the idea of transforming the Police Training School into an academy is a welcome initiative.
The Officer-in-Charge of the Private Security Companies, Ministry of Interior, Deputy Superintendant Sanna Janneh said such a training facility will raise the standard of the police training school by providing the prerequisite security training for all the services including the private security companies.
