Erdogan seeks economic, military ties in Turkey-Africa Summit
Turkey seeks to expand
economic and military ties with Africa, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday
in remarks during a major Turkey-Africa summit in Istanbul.
Heads of state from 16
African nations, along with more than 102 ministers and representatives of the
African Union and the Economic Community of West African States are attending
the summit in Istanbul.
Erdogan said that Turkey remains
committed to supporting Africa emphasizing deep ties that go back to 19th
century with the African continent.
Equality not imperialism
"Our cooperation is based on equality,
not imperialism or orientalism," said Erdogan on Saturday at a ceremony
held for foreign dignitaries on the final day of Third Turkey-Africa
Partnership Summit in Istanbul.
Erdogan added that both Turkey
and Africa should strive to be great together fighting a place at the United
Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the future.
"There is 1.3 billion people live in
Africa and this continent is not represented at the UNSC, that is huge flagrant
of injustice," Erdogan said urging to join forces and to deepen relations even further.
Trade and investments
He highlighted,
"Our trade with Africa was $5.4 billion in 2020 and investments for this
year stands at $6 billion," adding that Turkish companies currently employ
around 25,000 Africans throughout continent.
Erdogan said vaccine inequality
and injustice towards Africa is a disgrace and must stop.
He committed that 15 million
doses of Turkey’s TurkoVac will first be shared with Africa and that Turkey
will continue supplying medical aid and equipment.
Turkey will soon start production of its first
locally made Covid-19 vaccine, TurkoVac, and will cooperate with Africa in
joint production and delivery of the vaccine.
Turkey’s expertise
Urging strong cooperation
between Africa and Turkey against terrorism, the chairman of the African Union
said that maintaining peace and security on the continent is imperative for
achieving sustainable development.
Addressing the third
Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit, Felix Tshisekedi, who is also the president
of the Democratic Republic of Congo, affirmed Africa's trust in Turkey's
expertise in various sectors, saying: "Africa needs concrete projects in
the areas of trade, infrastructure, agricultural development, governance, and
health."
"In some parts of Africa,
unfortunately, there is instability and insecurity due to terrorist activities.
Therefore, it is a must to ensure peace and security in order to move
forward," he said, stressing the need for cooperation against terrorism.
Solution for global issues
Meanwhile, African Union
Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said: "Our partnership with Turkey
concerns not only Africa but the whole world. Our partnership will bring
solutions to major global problems."
Noting the investments of many
Turkish firms in different African countries, Mahamat said that bringing that
partnership to a strategic level would be a solution for major global issues.
The third
Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit is a follow-up of events held in 2008 in
Istanbul and 2014 in Equatorial Guinea's capital Malabo under the same banner.
The summit took place under the theme “Enhanced Partnership
for Common Development and Prosperity”.
16 heads of state
Some 16 African heads of state
who attended the summit, include Félix Tshisekedi, current chair of the African
Union, Senegal’s Macky Sall, Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo, representing Ecowas,
Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa and Muhammadu Buhari of
Nigeria.
They were accompanied by 102
ministers, including 26 foreign ministers, from 39 countries.
The two-day summit agenda reviewed cooperation between
Turkey and African countries since the Second Summit and drawing a framework
for the partnership process going forward.
The summit will provide
guidelines for Turkish cooperation with Africa for the next five years, with
projects that will directly involve the private sector being decided, according
to 3rd Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit Coordinator Ambassador Can
İncesu.
Action plan
A joint declaration and an action plan for the
next five years was unveiled at the summit including concrete steps in various
areas such as development, trade, industry, education, informatics, women,
youth, infrastructure, agriculture, and health.
The AU says that the Summit is expected to adopt a
“Turkey-Africa Partnership Joint Action Plan 2021-2026″ containing concrete
actions to be implemented jointly by Turkey, the AU and its Member States.
The Third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit follows recent intense
diplomatic moves by Turkey aimed at boosting ties with the continent.
In October, Istanbul hosted business leaders and dozens of
ministers from African states for a summit aimed specifically at increasing
trade.
Ankara’s presence has grown rapidly on the continent under
President Erdoğan, who has visited many African countries.
Trade volume
The volume of bilateral trade
between Turkey and Africa rose from $5.4bn in 2003 to $25.3bn in 2020.
Over the same period, Turkish
foreign direct investment in the continent grew from $100m to $6.5bn, and
Turkish companies have become increasingly present across Africa.
The main sectors for Turkish
trade and investment are construction, steel and cement, followed by textiles,
household goods and electronic devices.
In its dealings with Africa
Turkey has presented itself as a friend of the continent free of the
exploitative and racist baggage of former colonial powers.
