İbrahim KALIN* TZ
| Turkey’s Africa opening initiative launched in 2005 gained new momentum this week with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s three-country visit to Africa. | |||||
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Traveling to Gabon, Niger and Senegal with a large group of Turkish businessmen, Erdoğan stressed Africa’s strategic importance for Turkey. This is a result of the ongoing diversification of Turkey’s foreign policy. But it is also a testament to Africa’s rising significance in the 21st century. Turkey is no stranger to Africa. It has a long history of relations with countries stretching from North Africa to the Sahel region. In a quiet but steady way, Turkey is again establishing strong relations with Africa. High-level visits, diplomatic relations, investment and trade, cultural and educational programs, scholarships and the work of the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA), and Turkish NGOs have changed the old parameters of relations between Turkey and the African continent. |
