Türkiye’s Ambassador Launches Strategic South West Engagement with a High-Impact Visit to Limbe
Limbe played host to a defining diplomatic and economic moment as H.E. Volkan Öskiper, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Cameroon, launched his South West regional tour with a full day of structured, high-level engagements across the city.
As the first stop of a multi-city mission, Limbe set both the pace and strategic direction of the visit. The focus was clear: listen attentively, understand local realities, and identify credible pathways for long-term, mutually beneficial cooperation.
Limbe as a Strategic Coastal and Economic Hub
From the outset, Limbe was approached not as a ceremonial destination, but as a strategic coastal city with strong relevance for trade, logistics, energy, agro-industry, and regional connectivity.
Courtesy and working meetings with local and divisional authorities offered the Ambassador a broad overview of Limbe’s development priorities, institutional dynamics, and investment-readiness. These exchanges reinforced the city’s role as a gateway with growing importance for regional trade and cross-border integration.
The atmosphere throughout the day was one of openness and realism, with discussions focused on practical challenges, ongoing reforms, and the city’s ambition to reposition itself as a reliable destination for serious partners.
Deepening Engagement with Core Economic Institutions
The Limbe programme continued with working visits to some of the city’s most critical economic institutions, each providing insight into different pillars of Cameroon’s productive and industrial ecosystem.
At the Limbe Port Authority, discussions highlighted the port’s historical evolution, current operations, and forward-looking development plans. Attention was given to logistics capacity, port infrastructure, and the role Limbe can play as a complementary maritime hub within regional and international shipping corridors. The exchanges underscored Limbe’s potential to support expanded trade flows and logistics partnerships in the medium to long term.
At the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), conversations centred on agro-industrial recovery, productivity, and value addition. The dialogue focused on how structured partnerships, mechanisation, and transformation can support sustainable growth, job creation, and resilience within the agro-industrial value chain, particularly as CDC continues its restructuring and recovery efforts.
The visit to SONARA, Cameroon’s national refining company, provided the delegation with insight into the refinery’s recovery roadmap and phased rehabilitation strategy. Discussions reflected a shared understanding that rebuilding industrial capacity requires time, discipline, and realistic sequencing, while keeping future cooperation firmly in view.
Across all engagements, a consistent approach emerged: listen first, understand institutional priorities and constraints, and identify credible areas for future collaboration, aligned with both local development goals and Türkiye’s partnership philosophy.
Humanitarian Engagement and Community Connection
Beyond infrastructure and industry, the Limbe visit also reflected the human and social dimensions of cooperation.
At the Cameroon Red Cross, Fako Branch, the Ambassador met with leadership and volunteers involved in humanitarian response and community support. The exchange highlighted shared values of solidarity, resilience, and renewed collaboration, particularly in regions that have faced complex social and humanitarian challenges.
The day also featured a friendly football match at Bill Mousa Academy, bringing together youth, community members, and members of the delegation. This moment of cultural and social exchange reinforced the people-to-people dimension of the visit and the Ambassador’s belief that cooperation extends beyond institutions to communities and everyday life.
A Closing Moment of Dialogue
The Limbe programme concluded with a business networking dinner, bringing together public officials, business leaders, and regional stakeholders in a relaxed setting. The evening provided space for introductions, informal exchanges, and relationship-building, reinforcing the idea that durable partnerships are built through trust, dialogue, and continuity.
Looking Ahead
The Limbe visit marked the opening chapter of a broader South West engagement and sent a strong signal: this was a listening visit, but also the beginning of a structured and forward-looking process.
As the Ambassador’s tour continues through Buea and Kumba, the conversations initiated in Limbe are expected to inform follow-up engagements, deeper dialogue, and concrete initiatives in the months ahead, positioning the South West Region as an active and credible partner in Cameroon–Türkiye cooperation.