What Türkiye wants to achieve in Africa?

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan underscored Ankara’s evolving role in Africa as transformative rather than transactional as he addressed the Third Türkiye-Africa Ministerial Review Conference on November 3 in the East African country of Djibouti.

Fidan outlined Ankara’s commitment to fostering peace and stability across Africa through economic, educational, health, and peace-building initiatives.

“Türkiye approaches its partnership policy with Africa not solely from a focus on its own interests,” Dr Tunc Demirtas, an academic in the department of International Relations at Mersin University, says TRT World.

“Türkiye’s cooperation extends beyond bilateral ties to address global issues, such as supporting African nations against injustices in Gaza and advocating for international justice,” Demirtas added.

According to Demirtas, other than furthering global stability and justice, Ankara’s African policy reflects a sensitivity to local needs and priorities.

African solution to African problems

“Türkiye’s policies are centred on development-focused, equitable, and sustainable cooperation,” says Dr Kaan Devecioglu, Coordinator for North African Studies at Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM), speaking to TRT World.

Devecioglu noted that Türkiye prioritises projects that build local capacities over fostering dependency, with institutions like TIKA and the Yunus Emre Institute spearheading initiatives in health, education, and cultural development.

Fidan highlighted Türkiye’s expanding trade with Africa, which surpassed $35 billion in 2023, and its investments totaling approximately $7 billion.

“The approach based on empowerment rather than mere aid has positioned Türkiye as a trusted partner across African nations, creating durable alliances,” Devecioglu added.

Fidan echoed this sentiment, underscoring Türkiye’s philosophy of “African solutions to African problems,” a concept that has resonated with leaders across the continent.

Emphasising the importance of sovereignty and local dynamics, Fidan cited Ethiopia’s need for maritime access and Somalia’s firm stance on recognition of its territorial integrity—both essential considerations in Türkiye’s approach to mediation.

Türkiye’s facilitation efforts, known as the “Ankara Process,” focus on direct dialogue between Ethiopia and Somalia, aiming not only to address immediate conflict but to lay the groundwork for lasting peace.

Türkiye’s role as a mediator further demonstrates its commitment to supporting Africa’s self-sufficiency in conflict resolution and its reputation as a neutral and effective diplomatic actor, Devecioglu said.

Diplomatic partner to security ally

Türkiye’s partnerships across Africa stretches beyond diplomacy and into the realm of security.

“Türkiye is now not only a diplomatic partner but also a security provider,” Dr Murat Yigit, an associate professor at Türkiye’s National Defence University, tells TRT World.

Türkiye’s defence agreements, he explained, encompass military training, technology transfer, and arms exports, positioning Türkiye as a vital security ally on the continent.

In February, Somalia and Türkiye formalised a ten-year agreement that tasks Ankara with bolstering Somalia’s maritime security. This partnership encompasses the construction, modernisation, and training of Somalia’s naval forces and facilities, alongside joint air, land, and sea operations along the country’s extensive 3,333-kilometer coastline.

In addition, Türkiye has entered into several infrastructure agreements, which include significant projects for the Port of Mogadishu and the international airport. These initiatives have also enabled associated private companies to secure further contracts in the region.

According to Yigit, Türkiye’s role emerges as both pragmatic and quietly transformative, embodying a strategic commitment to fostering stability across a region where such commitments are in short supply.

“Türkiye can easily communicate with conflicting parties,” Yigit continued.

Rallying for stability and justice

Türkiye is fostering a united front against instability.

Türkiye’s security role is partly driven by concerns over regional stability and issues such as Israel’s actions, which threaten the region’s economic and political landscape, Yigit notes.

Türkiye is working with its African partners to highlight the fallout of the brutal Israeli war. Israel's war on Gaza has broader ramifications that threaten the economic interests of African countries.

Many African economies rely heavily on commodities, so any wild swings in these prices would have a significant effect on the balance of payment and fiscal positions. Global energy flows will be of concern, given its centrality to global energy supply and its emergence as a strategic target.

Israel's continued war on Gaza, and now Lebanon, could trigger a global economic ‘shock’, the World Bank has warned.

In response to Israel’s actions in the Middle East, it aligns itself with South Africa’s position to counter global injustice, according to Demirtas.

“This alignment resonates among African populations,” says Demirtas, who are “among the most familiar witnesses to the disregard for human life.” He noted that, while some African governments may support Israel, Africans, shaped by their own experiences of oppression, marginalisation and colonisation, stand in solidarity with Palestinians.”

Türkiye, as Demirtas notes, reinforces this support by standing with African nations “against all forms of terrorism to promote global and regional peace and stability.”

At the conference, Fidan took a firm stance, condemning what he called the Israeli “genocide” in Gaza. Türkiye, he affirmed, will not waver in its support for the Palestinians. With support from over 50 nations, including 19 African countries, and bolstered by organisations like the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League, Türkiye is calling for a halt to arms supplies to Israel.

This coalition, according to Demirtas, represents a “strong coalition in response to this situation,” building a movement of “global conscience dedicated to justice and international law.”

Humanitarian crisis in Sudan

Turning to the mounting crisis in Sudan, Fidan addressed the desperate conditions there—millions left without adequate food, water, or medicine due to the conflict.

“These conditions have reached an unbearable point and must not escape the attention of the international community,” he implored, his words underscoring an urgency that seems to reverberate against a backdrop of global indifference.

Dr Mayada Kamal Eldeen, an associate professor of Political Sciences and International Relations at Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, echoed Fidan’s concern. “The world has unfortunately overlooked Sudan’s war, one of the largest humanitarian crises,” she told TRT World.

With over 10 million people displaced, Türkiye has responded with aid shipments, a tangible reflection of its longstanding commitment to humanitarian intervention. Eldeen praised Türkiye’s advocacy in Sudan’s crisis.

“Just as Türkiye provided crucial support to Somalia and Sudan in past crises, Fidan’s call for humanitarian mobilisation is critical,” Eldeen stressed, pointing to Türkiye’s designation by the UN as the world’s most generous humanitarian donor as proof of its enduring dedication to those most in need.

In his closing remarks, Hakan Fidan announced plans for the next Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit, scheduled for 2026, a continued collaboration that promises to deepen ties.