No: 248, 23 July 2014

Turkey was admitted as an Associate Observer to the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) during the Organization's Summit held in Dili, the capital of Timor Leste on 23 July 2014.

CPLP was established in 1996 in order to encourage the use of Portuguese language, establish cooperation in the field of development and ensure political and diplomatic coordination among its member States. CPLP embraces a population of nearly 250 million people spread to eight countries from different continents; Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Timor Leste, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Equatorial Guinea is admitted as the ninth member to the Community in the Dili Summit today.

CPLP is currently turning to be a multilateral organization that attracts attention at the international fora due to the expansion of Portuguese language and its member states with rich natural and human resources connecting four continents with extensive political, commercial and cultural ties.

Having good relations at the bilateral level with Portuguese speaking countries, Turkey through its Associate Observer Status in the CPLP also adds an institutional dimension to its relations, which supports our multidimensional foreign policy and complements our policy of outreach to Africa, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region.

Turkey's observer status in the CPLP is the latest example of its involvement in regional cooperation networks that it has been developing in different geographical regions in recent years.