Erdogan wants to strengthen relations at Turkey – Africa summit | Business and Economic News

Istanbul, Turkey – Turkey’s goal is to deepen Africa’s economic and military relations, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a summit of African leaders in Istanbul and called for a seat on the UN Security Council to represent the continent.

The heads of state of 16 African nations are attending a summit in Istanbul with more than 102 ministers and representatives of the African Union and West African States.

The Third Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit follows a wide range of activities aimed at Turkey strengthening ties with the continent.

In October, Istanbul hosted African state businessmen and dozens of ministers at a summit aimed at boosting trade.

In the same month, Erdogan visited Angola, Nigeria and Togo.

“Three billion people live on the African continent and are not represented on the Security Council,” Erdogan said on Saturday.

“It simply came to our notice then. I am still excited and excited every time I visit the continent, ”Erdogan said, adding that he has made more than 50 trips to the continent and visited more than 30 countries since 2004.

“This summit is a commitment that is maintained by Turkey’s interest in Africa and that Turkey’s interest in Africa is not a temporary interest. Our African brothers and sisters are showing an interest in better cooperation with Turkey. ”

Vaccines, drones, increased trade

Erdogan announced that Turkey would share 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine with African countries in the coming months, adding that it was “shameful to society” that so far only 6% of the population had been vaccinated.

Turkey is also ready to share its counter-terrorism experience and provide military technology to African countries, he added.

“We understand that security challenges like Daesh (ISIL), Boko Haram and al-Shabab are not just for a few countries, but a shared challenge. Turkey has advanced technology in the defense industry, and Turkey has extensive experience in counter-terrorism operations. We are ready to offer this skill to our African brothers and sisters. ”

Turkey has a major military base in Somalia, where it has helped build government infrastructure and train security personnel.

Turkish forces are also present in Libya, where they are in favor of a UN-recognized government, and Turkish armed drones have played a major role in the conflict.

Although the details of the military cooperation at the summit are not yet clear, Murat Yigit of Istanbul Trade University told Al Jazeera that African leaders had shown a clear interest in Turkey’s defense offer.

“Turkey’s successful progress in the defense industry in recent years is certainly reflected in its relations with Africa,” Yigit said. “Defense cooperation with countries like Somalia, Niger and Ethiopia was expected to improve.

“Moreover, as seen in Libya, Turkish drones will make significant contributions to regional peace. It is not difficult to predict that the Turkey-Africa partnership will find new key sectors in the military and trade sectors in the new era. “

Turkey signed a military cooperation agreement with Ethiopia earlier this year during Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s visit to Ankara.

Ethiopia, along with Morocco, is already buying arms from Turkey. In October, Reuters reported that the two countries were buying Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkey, and had also sold them to Azerbaijan, Poland and Ukraine.

Bilateral trade between Turkey and African nations has also grown exponentially in recent years.

In the first 11 months of 2021, bilateral trade reached $ 30 billion, Erdogan said on Saturday, and Turkey expects it to rise to $ 50 billion in the coming years.

Erdogan added that about 25,000 Africans were employed on the continent by Turkish companies, $ 78 billion in projects, and that more than 14,000 African students studied in Turkey.

Enhanced economic cooperation between Turkey and African nations has partly fueled Turkey’s desire to diversify its trading partners, Ismail Numan Telci, deputy director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies in Ankara, said.

“Instead of limiting itself to its neighbors, Turkey has reached out to wider regions, including Africa, to diversify its strategic commitments.

African leaders, on the other hand, were increasingly looking for development partners outside the historical centers of European power with colonial history on the continent.

“In recent years, however, these countries have become increasingly aware of their unique potential, not only for their economic strength, but also for their diplomatic and military capabilities.

“As a result, these countries have become more open to new regional and global powers, including Turkey, to increase their commitment to defending their interests.”