TURKEY & AFRICA: DOUBLING DOWN ON ECONOMIC AND MILITARY PARTNERSHIPS

   Wed, 10 November 2021

In October, Turkey’s president visited three African states as part of a foreign campaign aimed at strengthening his bilateral and trade relations on the continent. Central to this strategy has been promoting the interests of Turkey's defence industry ahead of the Turkey-Africa summit scheduled for December in Istanbul. Turkey has consistently expanded its Africa outreach as a component of expanding and diversifying Turkey's global footprint and more recently began using defence ties to strengthen the diplomatic foundations of its outreach to African states. A growing interest in Turkey’s domestic defence industry is accelerating the shift towards a defence-oriented approach in bilateral relations, particularly since Turkey’s demonstrated military successes in Libya.