AS France and the United States scale back their presence in Africa, Turkey is accelerating its diplomatic and security engagements across the continent. According to reporting by Agence France-Presse (AFP), Ankara’s efforts are resonating with African governments seeking credible, alternative partnerships.
At the recently concluded Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Turkey (April 11–13), high-level delegations from across Africa—including Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud—gathered alongside global heavyweights such as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine’s Andriy Sybiha. The strong African turnout underscored Ankara’s growing importance as a diplomatic partner.
Professor Eghosa Osaghae, Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, told AFP that African countries are actively exploring new partnerships. ‘Today African countries are looking for alternatives, and Turkey represents one of those options, so it has resonated well in Africa,’ he said.
Mediation, military ties, and economic offers
Turkey has played a decisive role in recent African peace processes—most notably, its successful mediation between Somalia and Ethiopia after tensions flared over Ethiopia’s controversial sea access deal with Somaliland. Ankara helped broker a reconciliation agreement in December, and has pledged to support the continued implementation of the peace accord.
‘We are trying to ensure that Africa can find its own solutions to African problems,’ Turkish special envoy Alp Ay told AFP. He noted that Turkey’s strategy is rooted in dialogue and long-term cooperation rather than one-off interventions.
African officials appear open to the overtures. Cote d’Ivoire’s Foreign Minister, Kacou Leon Adom, expressed enthusiasm about deepening ties with Turkey. Speaking to AFP in Antalya, he noted that the West African country is eager to collaborate in sectors such as security, trade, education, and communications. ‘From this perspective, Turkey is making us offers, and we will consider them,’ he said.
Security as a ‘building block’ for influence
Turkey’s growing network of military partnerships has been a key driver of its influence across Africa. Defence agreements have been signed with countries including Somalia, Libya, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana—paving the way for contracts in drone sales and military training.
The approach is pragmatic. Countries facing internal security threats from extremist groups such as Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, or the Lord’s Resistance Army see Ankara as a responsive and affordable security partner.
‘The good thing is that many African countries already have military cooperation with Turkey. And that can be the building block for Turkish influence,’ said Osaghae.
Filling the vacuum left by France?
In recent years, African nations have distanced themselves from traditional power brokers such as France, especially in the Sahel region. Whether Turkey can fully replace these former colonial powers remains to be seen, but analysts say it will depend on the substance and sustainability of what Ankara offers.
‘It would depend a great deal on how attractive Turkey’s offers to African states will be,’ said Osaghae. The key, he added, will be delivering development assistance and diplomatic engagement without political conditionalities.
A senior Somali diplomat confirmed to AFP that Turkey’s involvement has gone beyond security. ‘It is also involved in other developmental projects in Somalia,’ the diplomat said. ‘I think Turkey is playing a key role in Somalia—and it is a positive role.’
President Erdogan’s personal diplomacy reinforces this strategy. During the Antalya forum, he held direct talks with Somalia’s president, demonstrating Turkey’s commitment to building trust at the highest levels.
A shift in global influence
While Turkey is not new to Africa—it has engaged on the continent for decades—its latest efforts appear more targeted and coordinated. As other global powers recalibrate their African strategies, Ankara is positioning itself as a mediator, defence ally, and development partner rolled into one.
‘Africa desperately needs mediators that are not only credible but are capable of doing the kinds of things that Turkish experience suggests,’ Osaghae said.
With military, political, and economic offers on the table, Turkey’s growing footprint in Africa marks a shift in the continent’s global alliances—one shaped less by historical ties and more by immediate results.
