Turkey Deepens Ties with Africa, Aims for Economic and Diplomatic Growth

The government of Turkey says it is committed to deepening ties with Africa, recognizing the potential the continent has in terms of socioeconomic development, and vowed to strengthen diplomatic relations given the support the region gives to Palestine.

In recent years, Turkey invested heavily in the continent, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visiting over 31 countries while rallying for improved ties between Ankara and the entire continent of Africa.

Fourteen African countries attended the latest ministerial meeting in the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti this weekend, the Voice of America reports. Some of these countries include Angola, Chad, Comoros, the Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Libya, Mauritania, Nigeria, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Hakan Fidan, the Turkish minister for Foreign Affairs, who presided over the Djibouti summit, said the continent's trade with Turkey surpassed $35 billion last year and Turkey's direct investments now totaled $7 billion.

"Turkey is employing a comprehensive and holistic approach in terms of enhancing our trade and economic partnership with the continent," Fidan said in a speech.

Presently, Turkey is the fourth largest arms supplier in sub-Saharan Africa and has even established military bases in the continent. For instance, in Somalia, Turkey has established the largest overseas military training center where elite GorGor troops are trained.

On diplomacy, Turkey is directly involved in mediation talks between Somalia and Ethiopia, following a disputed agreement between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland. However, the two sides are yet to embrace the talks.

Fidan reiterated support for the African Union to become a permanent member of the G20 and for reform of the United Nations Security Council.

"We should continue our efforts to make the UN more relevant and capable of confronting the complex challenges of the century. Security Council reform is critical in this sense," he said.

"We believe that Africa can play an instrumental role in supporting the Palestinian cause and in stopping Israel," he said while insisting on the magnitude of the matter which has left thousands of people dead.

"We appreciate the African countries that stand with Palestine," he added, highlighting South Africa's recent move to file evidence of "genocide" committed by Israel to the International Criminal Court.

The next Turkiye-Africa Summit is due to be held in 2026. Ankara is currently involved in oil exploration in Africa including the recent agreement with Somalia, leading to the arrival of the research vessel Oruc Reis which is set to explore both onshore and offshore oil.

GAROWE ONLINE