As Türkiye grows its influence in Africa through mediation efforts and building partnerships in several fields, the new dynamics could be clearly seen through the vast number of high-level officials attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) last weekend.
Ankara’s efforts in its ties with the continent have picked up speed in recent months with diplomatic successes in resolving local conflicts, and as traditional powers such as France and the United States pull back from the continent, according to analysts and diplomats.
The annual diplomacy forum in the southern Mediterranean resort of Antalya on April 11-13 drew many African officials, including the president of Somalia.
“Today African countries are looking for alternatives, and Türkiye represents one of those options, so it has resonated well in Africa,” professor Eghosa Osaghae, director general of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, who attended the forum, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has boosted his international standing after Syria’s Bashar Assad was overthrown by opposition forces, some of whom Ankara had backed, and brokered a key Horn of Africa peace deal between Somalia and Ethiopia.
Ankara, which also hosted two rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine at the start of the war, has often said it is ready to support any initiative leading to peace between its two Black Sea neighbors.
The Antalya forum was also attended by Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha.
For Osaghae, whether Türkiye can fill the vacuum in Africa left by France, which has seen many of its former colonies turn away from it in recent years, would “depend a great deal on how attractive Türkiye’s offers to African states will be.”
Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of the forum in Antalya, Ivory Coast’s foreign minister, Kacou Leon Adom, said: “We have relations with France that we are very proud of. But France doesn’t prevent us from having other partnerships.”
The West African nation is keen to work with Türkiye in all sectors, including communications, trade, security, education, and training, he said.
“All of that interests us. And from this perspective, Türkiye is making us offers, and we will consider them.”
‘Building block’
Many African countries are faced with challenges to their security, with groups such as Somalia-based al-Shabab, Boko Haram from Nigeria and the Lord’s Resistance Army, which originated in Uganda, wreaking havoc.
“If it is possible for Türkiye to give assistance in these areas, why not?” Osaghae said.
“The good thing is that many African countries already have military cooperation with Türkiye. And that can be the building block for Turkish influence.”
Türkiye has signed defense agreements with a number of states spanning the breadth of the continent, including Somalia, Libya, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana.
Those agreements have opened up contracts for Türkiye’s defense industry, notably for its reputedly reliable and inexpensive drones.
According to Turkish diplomat Alp Ay, Türkiye offers dialogue – he noted its success in getting Somalia and Ethiopia to end a bitter dispute that had sparked fears of conflict in the restive Horn of Africa.
“We are trying to ensure that Africa can find its own solutions to African problems,” said Ay, who works as Ankara’s special representative in negotiations between Somalia and the breakaway Somaliland region.
‘Africa needs mediators’
Tension mounted last year after Ethiopia struck a deal with Somaliland – which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991 in a move not recognized by Mogadishu – to gain access to the sea.
But Ethiopia and Somalia announced a complete restoration of diplomatic ties following a December deal mediated by Türkiye.
Ay said the responsibility from now on would be on both sides to uphold the deal, but Türkiye would continue to play its facilitator role. “We are hopeful.”
A senior Somali diplomat likewise said Türkiye played “a very assistive role in bringing the two countries together to resolve this issue.”
In a sign of Ankara’s growing influence, Erdoğan met his Somali counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, on Saturday in Antalya.
“I think Türkiye is playing a key role in Somalia,” the Somali diplomat said.
“And it is a positive role. Turkey is not only involved in security but it is also involved in other developmental projects in Somalia.”
Osaghae said that because of the many conflicts in the region, “Africa desperately needs mediators that are not only credible but are capable of doing the kinds of things that Turkish experience suggests.”
Türkiye’s Africa policy, which began in 2005, has evolved into a multi-dimensional partnership that includes diplomacy, security and economic cooperation. Today, with 43 embassies across the continent and a trade volume nearing $40 billion, Ankara has positioned itself as a key player in Africa’s development and geopolitical landscape.
Türkiye’s engagement with Africa formally began when it declared 2005 the “Year of Africa.” That same year, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) opened its first African office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2008, Türkiye was officially recognized as a strategic partner of the African Union following the first Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit. These steps marked the beginning of Ankara’s sustained and institutionalized approach toward the continent.
Since then, Ankara has actively expanded its diplomatic reach. High-level visits have played a crucial role in strengthening bilateral ties, with Turkish presidents and officials visiting over 30 African countries. At the same time, African leaders have increasingly turned to Ankara for cooperation in trade, security and infrastructure.