TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN VOWS TO DEEPEN TIES WITH AFRICA

Sun 17 October 2021:

Prior to his trip to Africa on Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that his country would pursue a comprehensive relationship with African partners.

“We will continue building a closer relationship with Africa across all spheres. Our trade with African countries topped $25 billion in 2020 thanks to a growing network of diplomatic missions on the continent,” he told reporters in Istanbul.

He took a swipe at European powers saying Turkey opposed attempts to “preserve old colonial ways.” He said Ankara would seek to become Africa’s strategic partner, instead of relying on “short-lived, benefit-oriented” ties.

Turkey has been rapidly expanding its Africa outreach since Erdogan came to power in 2002. The president said he visited 28 African countries 38 times in the past two decades. The number of Turkish embassies on the continent grew more than three times during the same period.

East Africa’s largest indoor arena in Rwanda; a national mosque in Ghana; an army base in Somalia; and an almost 400km-long railway project which would help give landlocked Ethiopia direct access to major trade routes through the port of Djibouti.

Turkey’s outreach might bear more fruit as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to kick off another round of a diplomatic tour on Sunday that covers Angola, Nigeria and Togo.

Alongside the signing of new deals, the trip will also see business forums banding Turkish and local business people together in each country in a bid to cultivate relationships and agreements.

It also comes ahead of two major events – the Turkey-Africa Business Summit later this month and the third Turkey-Africa Summit in December – that the Turkish government has been preparing for.