The Rise of Turkey as a Major Power in Sub-Saharan Africa

Africa has increasingly become the focus of international attention. The continent’s abundant natural resources, growing share of the global population, and ever-increasing demand for goods have marked the region as having extreme economic potential. Furthermore, in an increasingly polarised international system, securing the support of Africa’s 54 votes at the United Nations is strategically vital. China has greatly expanded its presence in Africa with substantial investments and infrastructure projects, while Russia has re-engaged through arms sales and the deployment of private military companies (PMC). These developments have raised alarm in the West, fueling perceptions of a “New Great Game” in which China, Russia, and Western powers jostle for regional influence.

What has been given much less attention, however, is the quiet emergence of Turkey as a major player in Africa. Turkey is a nation that has long sought recognition as an important global political power. Initially, Ankara pursued rapprochement with the West as a means to expand its outreach. After its attempts to join the European Union stalled, Turkey began to look elsewhere. Africa, with its vast potential, presented itself as the ideal opportunity.

Although Turkey launched its African Initiative Policy in 1998, progress in Turco-African cooperation was relatively slow until 2005, when Ankara declared the “Year of Africa”, and joined the African Union as an “Observing Member”. Since his tenure as Prime Minister (2003-2014) and throughout his Presidency (2014-present), Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has prioritised Africa in his foreign policy. Turkey’s presence on the continent has skyrocketed, with Erdoğan visiting 31 African states, Ankara hosting three “Turkey-Africa Summits,” and the number of Turkish embassies in Africa rising from 12 in 2002 to 44 in 2022. Over the same period, growing diplomatic ties have been matched by significantly increased trade between Turkey and Africa, rising from $5.4 billion to over $40 billion. Security cooperation has also intensified as Turkey’s defence industry expands its presence in Africa, supporting Ankara’s geostrategic influence. Turkish arms, vehicles, and drones have been widely purchased by African states and deployed in counterinsurgency operations.

Turkey’s foreign policy approach to Africa has followed a soft power strategy, utilising humanitarian aid and development to enhance its continental footprint. Ankara has funded the construction of schools, hospitals, mosques, and infrastructure, and promoted the “Ankara Consensus” of development cooperation. Much like China’s “Beijing Consensus”, Turkish development stresses sovereignty and non-interference: non-conditional aid, as opposed to Western development models, which typically require political and economic liberalisation and prioritise human rights protections. Eschewing Western conditionality, Turkey has championed “African solutions for African problems”. The Ankara Consensus differs from its Chinese counterpart as it operates through grants instead of loans, allowing Turkey to sidestep the “debt-trap diplomacy” allegations which have - not without merit - plagued Beijing.

Religion plays a uniquely important role in Ankara’s soft power strategy. Shared Islamic identity has been used as a framing device for Turkey to develop closer ties with African countries of the same faith. Invoking religious solidarity to build legitimacy and trust, Turkey has advanced the idea of a universal brotherhood among Muslims, asserting its engagements are driven by a moral imperative to support its African “brothers”. Unsurprisingly, Turkish aid concentrates on Muslim-majority countries, while Turkish companies frequently highlight Islam as a unifying bond to gain an advantage over their international competitors. Through setting up Quran-learning centres and publishing Quran translations, Turkey has promoted “Turkish Islam” on the continent, challenging similar Saudi initiatives.

The emphasis on shared identities extends beyond religious kinship. Turkey now describes itself as an “Afro-Eurasian” state, positioning its interests as being tied together with African interests through the shared concerns of the Global South.

This cultural diplomacy has served to distance Turkey from European powers with histories of colonialism in Africa. Ankara’s rhetoric echoes Russian narratives of exploiting anti-Western sentiments by playing on post-colonial resentment, which has led to direct criticism by French President Macron. Turkey appears to be attempting to gain a form of moral superiority over the West, a premise which coincidentally ignores Erdoğan’s endorsement of Turkey’s Ottoman Empire imperial history.

Somalia has become the epicentre of Turkish influence in Africa since Erdoğan’s 2011 visit, the first by a non-African leader in two decades. Since 2017, Somalia has hosted Turkey’s largest military base abroad. Turkey provides training to the Somalian police and military and supports counter-terrorism, piracy and smuggling efforts in the notoriously unstable country. Security cooperation has led to strengthened economic ties - in 2024 an agreement was signed giving Turkey exclusive rights to explore and produce oil in areas off the Somali coast.

The Somali case highlights that Turkey could potentially follow Russia’s “security for resources” approach to Africa. Ankara following Moscow’s Africa blueprint can also be seen in its mobilisation of PMCs: Sadat, a Turkish state-controlled PMC known as the “Turkish Wagner”, has been deployed to conflict zones in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, where it will certainly compete with Russia for influence.

Turkey is presenting itself as an alternative to the West, China, and Russia. The global disengagement of the Trump administration combined with France’s shrinking footprint in Africa is likely to weaken Western regional influence. Turkey may be a NATO member, but it will move to fill the vacuum and has already proved willing to undermine Western strategies, making competition likely. Diverging approaches, combined with Ankara’s religious and cultural diplomacy will continue to undermine Western presence in Africa.

Turkey is positioned to become an ever-greater voice on the continent.