Win-Win: Türkiye-Africa Relations

Türkıye’s relations with the African continent have evolved into a multi-dimensional strategic partnership shaped by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visionary leadership, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s diplomatic moves, and Trade Minister Ömer Bolat’s economic initiatives. This partnership, nourished by historical and cultural bonds, advances on the foundations of “win-win” and equal partnership principles, aiming to build a common future for the continent and Türkiye.

The Architect of Strategy:

President Erdoğan’s Africa Policy

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the chief architect of Türkiye-Africa relations, embraces the vision of building ties with the continent away from the shadow of a colonial past, based on mutual respect and the law of brotherhood. For Erdoğan, Africa is “the shining star of our century with its young human resources, dynamism, and riches with beauties that have yet to be fully discovered.” This perspective forms the foundation of Türkiye’s policy toward the continent and categorically rejects “arrogant, dismissive approaches reeking of orientalism.”

Erdoğan emphasizes at every opportunity that Türkiye is not new to Africa, noting “deep historical and human ties with the continent dating back to the 10th century.” This historical depth constitutes the solid foundation of the modern partnership. Meetings with Gabonese and Senegalese leaders demonstrate concrete reflections of this vision.

In his meeting with Gabon President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Erdoğan described Gabon as “a friendly country that contributes to regional stability, possesses natural wealth and diversity, and with which we have been cooperating for many years.” During the discussions, it was emphasized that Turkish companies have undertaken important projects in Gabon’s construction and energy sectors, with the total value of projects undertaken by Turkish contractors exceeding $2.5 billion. Erdoğan specifically noted that the Turkish private sector is ready to take on roles in areas such as housing, energy, digital transformation, and mining. Additionally, it was stated that the educational services provided by the Türkiye Maarif Foundation in Gabon since 2018 are valued, and plans exist to increase school capacity.

In the meeting with Senegal Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, it was confirmed that relations have been elevated to the level of “strategic partnership.” Erdoğan set the goal of increasing bilateral trade volume to $1 billion in the first phase. It was noted that nearly 100 Turkish companies operate in Senegal, with their investments and contracting projects totaling nearly $3 billion. The meeting expressed desire to strengthen cooperation in critical areas such as security, defense industry, and counter-terrorism, with Erdoğan stating, “We are pleased with the growing interest of our African brothers in Turkish defense products.” Senegal Prime Minister Sonko also emphasized the importance they place on this partnership by noting that Türkiye has “an extremely strong defense industry.”

Growing Presence on the Continent:

Expanding Diplomatic Network

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stands out as the key figure implementing President Erdoğan’s vision on the ground. Fidan’s diplomacy places Türkiye’s presence in Africa within an institutional and systematic framework. He states that Türkiye’s Africa opening policy, launched approximately 25 years ago, has made great progress over time based on “mutual respect and win-win principles” and has now transformed into a “partnership policy.”

The most concrete indicator of this transformation is the expansion of the diplomatic representation network. While Türkiye had only 12 embassies in Africa in 2002, this number has risen to 44 today. Correspondingly, the number of African embassies in Ankara has reached 38, making the capital an important diplomatic center. Fidan notes that this expanding diplomatic network has enabled concrete results in economic, political, and cultural fields.

His meeting with Botswana Minister of International Relations Phenyo Butale exemplifies this diplomatic approach. This visit was significant as it was the first bilateral visit at the foreign minister level after a 13-year hiatus. During the meeting, Fidan expressed readiness to provide necessary support for Botswana to open an embassy in Türkiye. It was noted that the defense industry represents a potential cooperation area and that educational opportunities will continue to be provided to Botswanan students under the Türkiye Scholarships program.

As Fidan notes, Türkiye can also “assume mediation and facilitation roles on the continent thanks to the trust we have gained among our African friends.” Türkiye, which continues to contribute to the continent’s stability and development within the framework of the principle of “finding African solutions to Africa’s problems,” aims to take these relations a step further with the 4th Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit planned for next year.Economic diplomacy under Trade Minister Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat plays a critical role in transforming Türkiye-Africa partnership into concrete gains. Bolat emphasizes the importance of deepening relations with Africa not only commercially but also “in a way that will strengthen humanitarian and fraternal bonds.”

The numbers clearly demonstrate the success of this strategy. While Türkiye’s trade volume with Africa was $5.4 billion in 2003, this figure has increased sevenfold to approximately $36.5 billion as of 2024. The targets are even bigger; the aim is to increase trade volume to $50 billion in the short term and to $75 billion in the medium and long term. To achieve these targets, the Ministry of Trade has increased the number of Trade Counselorships in Africa to 31 and included 13 African countries in the global “Target Countries” strategy.

The Turkish private sector stands as the most dynamic actor in this process. While the total value of direct investments by Turkish companies on the African continent exceeds $10 billion, Turkish contracting firms have undertaken more than 1,700 projects worth over $85 billion in Africa to date. These projects include critical investments that strengthen the continent’s infrastructure, such as stadiums, airports, ports, and roads.

Events such as the 13th WCI Business Forum held in Istanbul further strengthen these economic ties. Meeting with ministers from Gambia and Ghana within the forum’s scope, Bolat negotiated steps to increase bilateral trade volume and potential cooperation areas. It is stated that Türkiye “desires to take a more active role in Africa’s infrastructure, industrialization, housing, and large-scale projects” and will continue to build a trust-based foundation between business communities in this direction.

President Erdoğan’s assertion that “No country with a global vision can ignore the African continent” encapsulates Türkiye’s strategic approach. This vision has materialized into concrete policy through diplomatic engagement and commercial dynamics.

Türkiye’s multi-layered relationship model, founded on “win-win” and “equal partnership” principles, demonstrates genuine commitment to Africa’s future while advancing its own global objectives as a permanent, trusted partner.