Turkey's forestry and water works minister said on Friday that Turkey had provided 350,000 Africans with potable water.

Veysel Eroglu said Turkish State Water Works Directorate (DSI) had sent potable water to Ethiopia, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Niger to meet potable water needs of almost 350,000 people.

"DSI's initiatives in Africa began with Ethiopia in 2005. We have provided potable water to almost 100,000 people in 28 settlements in the first place," Eroglu said in a statement.

Eroglu said Turkey then extended potable water to 3,650 people in eight more settlements in Ethiopia.

The minister said Turkey opened 104 wells in 104 settlements in Niger, and provided 150,000 people living in rural areas with potable water.

"We continue to drill 30 new wells in Niger," Eroglu said.

Eroglu said Turkey extended potable water to 110,000 people in 30 settlements in Burkina Faso, and was working on a new project to open 20 more wells.

Turkey's minister said Turkey had launched preparations to send water drilling machines and teams to Somalia to meet urgent water need of the country, and was planning to open 40 wells there.

Eroglu also said Turkey was going to open 30 wells each in Mali, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia, Ghana, Benin and Togo.

AA