Assahafa.com
Abdellatif Hammouchi, Director General of Morocco’s National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST), is conducting a working visit to Turkey on May 7-8 at the head of a senior security delegation. The visit centers on participation in the 5th edition of the SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul.
The trip comes at the official invitation of Turkish National Police chief Mahmut Demirtaş. It follows directly on Hammouchi’s three-day visit to Austria, where he attended the 23rd Regional Meeting of Intelligence and Security Chiefs, organized by the United Nations at the Vienna International Centre. He also held bilateral talks with Austrian intelligence director Sylvia Mayer.
The Turkey stop also extends a busy spring diplomatic calendar. On April 20-21, Hammouchi led a security delegation to Sweden, where he signed a memorandum of understanding with Sweden’s national police authority on intelligence sharing, joint training, and operational coordination. He also held talks with Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer and National Police Commissioner Petra Lundh.
In Istanbul, Hammouchi held talks with Ibrahim Kalin, president of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization. He also met with Hüseyin Avşar, vice president of Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
Discussions with Turkish officials covered strengthening bilateral security cooperation. They also addressed shared security dossiers and the latest technological and industrial innovations in security equipment, according to a DGSN-DGST communiqué.
The communiqué said the visit aims to consolidate cooperation with Turkish security authorities, develop mutual technical assistance, and advance the security partnership between the two countries in line with the strategic nature of Moroccan-Turkish relations.
This marks Hammouchi’s second working visit to Turkey in less than a year. In September 2025, he led a delegation to Ankara for the International Internal Security Equipment Fair (IGEF 2025), held from September 18 to 20. That visit also came at the invitation of Demirtaş.
The September discussions covered irregular migration and its links to organized crime networks, police training programs, and investment in human resources to meet future security challenges.
The two sides also discussed preparations for major events Morocco was set to host, including the 93rd Interpol General Assembly in Marrakech in November 2025, the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, and the 2030 FIFA World Cup co-organized with Spain and Portugal.
On the sidelines of IGEF 2025, Hammouchi held separate meetings with security delegation chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Malaysia. Those talks focused on elevating police cooperation to an advanced partnership level and addressing shared threats.
The Moroccan delegation also toured the IGEF exhibition stands, which showcased cutting-edge security and defense technologies from around the world.
The current Istanbul visit shifts the focus from internal security equipment to the broader defense and aerospace sector, and shows a pattern of sustained engagement between Moroccan and Turkish security establishments across multiple institutional channels.
Source: Morocco word news
