Africa and Turkey Relations
The development of our relations and cooperation with the African Continent constitutes one of the fundamental principles of our multidimensional foreign policy.
Africa is becoming a more active player in the international system and an increasingly dominant actor on the global stage. The economic and commercial potential and geopolitical weight of the continent, which is developing rapidly in many areas, attracts many countries and investors to Africa.
Turkey shares its historical experience, social, political and cultural background, opportunities and resources with African countries within the framework of the principle of "African solutions to African problems" and on the basis of mutual benefit.
Turkey's Africa policy, which is built on a historical foundation, is carried out in four dimensions: bilateral, regional, continental and global, including political, humanitarian, economic and cultural pillars.
In this framework, significant progress has been made in our relations with Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries in many areas. Starting in 1998 and accelerated by our becoming an observer member of the African Union (AU) in 2005 and our being declared as a strategic partner by the AU in 2008, our multidimensional Africa Outreach Policy has led to rapid progress in many areas such as trade, investments, cultural projects, security and military cooperation and development projects, especially political relations with the countries in the region. Our successful Africanization Policy was replaced by the African Partnership Policy in 2013.
With our Africa Partnership Policy, which is the product of a holistic understanding that encompasses the activities of public institutions, private sector, non-governmental organizations and humanitarian aid organizations, we aim to contribute to the peace and stability, economic and social development of the continent, and to develop our bilateral relations on the basis of equal partnership and mutual benefit.
Mutual high-level visits play an important role in sustaining our Africa Partnership Policy. Mr. President has visited 31 African countries (Angola, Algeria, Djibouti, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Angola, Algeria, Djibouti, Djibouti, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Morocco, Morocco, Ivory Coast) including during his term as Prime Minister, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Republic of South Africa, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Egypt, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia).
In order to strengthen our relations with the continent, importance is attached to the opening of representative offices in all African countries. In 2002, we had only 12 embassies in Africa, while the number of embassies operating in Africa increased to 44 in 2022.
On the other hand, African countries were not indifferent to Turkey's interest and the number of African Embassies in Ankara increased from 10 at the beginning of 2008 to 38.
In addition to our embassies, our activities in the continent have been further expanded with our institutions such as TIKA, AFAD, Yunus Emre Institute, Maarif Foundation, Turkish Religious Foundation, Anadolu Agency and Turkish Airlines.
One of the most concrete indicators of our strengthening relations is our developing economic relations and exponentially increasing trade figures. Our total trade with the African continent has increased from USD 5.4 billion in 2003 to USD 34.5 billion by the end of 2021.
The volume of projects undertaken by Turkish contracting companies grew rapidly and reached 77.8 billion USD in Africa. As of the period, there are Business Councils with 45 African countries.
Our country encourages the increase in the number of THY flights to Africa in order to improve transportation opportunities with African countries, to facilitate mutual contacts between business people, to ensure that Turkey is a crossroads for the African peoples to reach the world and to strengthen the connections between the peoples.THY, which reached 60 destinations in 39 countries in the continent before the pandemic, is gradually increasing the number of flights with the lifting of travel bans.
We continue our humanitarian and development assistance activities in solidarity with the peoples of Africa in almost every corner of the continent, particularly our Ministry of Health, the General Directorate of the Red Crescent, TIKA and non-governmental organizations. TIKA currently operates across Africa with 22 Program Coordination Offices.
In the long run, the scholarships provided by Turkey to African students will have a multiplier effect in strengthening Turkey's Africa policy. Since 1992, Turkey has provided undergraduate, graduate and doctoral scholarships to more than 15,000 African students. 249 diplomats from African countries have participated in the "International Training Program for Young Diplomats" organized by the Diplomacy Academy under the Ministry since 1992. In addition, in line with the requests received from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of African countries for capacity building and human resources development, training programs are organized in various fields, especially in diplomacy, archives and communication.
Relations with the African Union
In addition to Turkey's bilateral relations with African countries, Turkey's relations with the African Union (AU) are becoming stronger and institutionalized day by day. In 2005, Turkey became an observer member of the AU and was declared as a strategic partner of the continent at the Summit held in 2008 and the relations were given a sustainable mechanism with the First Turkey - Africa Partnership Summit held in Istanbul on August 18-21, 2008.
Following the Second Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit held in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea on 19-21 November 2014, the "2015-2019 Joint Implementation Plan" was adopted, which sets out a five-year schedule of projects in various fields that Turkey will implement together with Africans in the 2015-2019 period. In this context, projects identified in line with the priorities of African countries in areas such as trade and investment, peace and security, education and culture, youth empowerment and technology transfer, rural economy and agriculture, energy and transportation were implemented.
Furthermore, it was agreed to hold a "Ministerial Review Conference" with the African Union (AU) once every five years between the Summit meetings. In this context, the Second Turkey-Africa Ministerial Review Conference was held in Istanbul on 11-12 February 2018.
The Third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit was held in Istanbul on 16-18 December 2021, hosted by our President. 38 African countries were represented at the Summit organized under the theme "Strengthened Partnership for Development and Prosperity Together". We are implementing the decisions taken at the Summit, which will take our relations with the continent to a new stage, in close cooperation with all our African friends.
Similarly, the AU emphasizes that it aims to enhance our relations by leveraging its strategic partnership with Turkey in "Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want". In this framework, Turkey and the AU attach importance to Agenda 2063 and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as guiding frameworks to enhance their partnership based on inclusive growth and sustainable development of African countries.
Source:Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs
