In 2011, then Prime Minister Erdoğan launched a new era in the country’s relations to sub-Saharan Africa with a much-publicized visit to Somalia. Erdoğan’s initiative was a watershed moment, establishing Turkey as an emerging humanitarian and development actor with Somalia as its most significant partner. Since then, humanitarian initiatives from Turkey have become an established arm of its foreign policy projection and opened doors to business opportunities for the country. Most recently, these have expanded to the defence sector, forming new security partnerships.
What are Turkey’s strategic interests in Africa and how has it framed its role in competition with other emerging powers in the region such as the UAE, Qatar, and Egypt?
