Turkey pushes to expand influence in Africa

Ankara: With several major deals being inked this year with Somalia, Turkey's cooperation with Africa has made significant progress, showcasing Ankara's increasing presence on the continent, analysts said.

The two countries signed a comprehensive maritime and defence agreement in February and an oil and gas cooperation deal in March.

The agreements with Somalia are "part of Turkey's strategy to increase energy security and diversify energy sources," Kaan Devecioglu, North African studies coordinator at Ankara's Center For Middle Eastern Studies, told Xinhua news agency.

Exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas resources in Somalia can reduce Turkey's dependence on energy imports from other countries and support its economic development, said the analyst.

It's also "part of Turkey's efforts to strengthen its strategic partnerships in Africa," he emphasized.

On Saturday, the Turkish parliament approved a bill allowing the army to send troops to Somalia waters for a mandate of two years.

Besides the Somalia deal, Turkey's has also sealed defence agreements with other countries across the continent, including Libya, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Ghana, sending troops to some of them to train local forces.

For Batu Coskun, a non-resident fellow at TRENDS Research & Advisory, a research centre based in the United Arab Emirates, Ankara's strategy appears multifaceted, in that it is combining its already extensive security outreach with a political economy aimed at securing lasting influence.

"This fits into wider Turkish ambitions over the Eastern Mediterranean in establishing Turkey as a lasting and wide-encompassing actor in the region," the analyst told Xinhua.

At first, Turkey's involvement with Africa included humanitarian aid, education, and cultural initiatives. Over time, the partnership developed into comprehensive cooperation.

When Ankara launched its Africa plan in the early 2000s, there were 12 embassies in the continent. Now, there are more than 40.

In Coskun's view, Ankara is gearing up for the long game in Africa, eyeing opportunities to secure exploration and transfer rights in host countries. "This adds to Turkey's ambition of becoming an energy distribution hub," he said.

Throughout history, Turkey's influence was predominantly confined to North Africa and the Horn of Africa. However, Ankara is now broadening and strengthening its relations with countries in West Africa such as Nigeria and Senegal, as well as with Sahel countries, Coskun explained.

Trade is also a major aspect of Ankara's diversification strategy towards Africa. Over the past two decades, trade between Turkey and African nations has surged from 5.4 billion US dollars to over 40 billion dollars in 2022, as per official Turkish data.

"In the future, Turkey can be expected to further deepen its strategic cooperation in Africa and increase projects for the development of the continent," Devecioglu said.