New ASC Infosheet: Turkey in Africa: where economic diplomacy meets Islamic appeal

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  Turkish President Abdullah Gul visiting the DRC on
  14 March 2010

Turkey has recently been showing increased interest in developing strong relations with African countries. Even though relations between the Ottoman Empire and parts of North, West and East Africa date back several centuries, Ankara has not had a systematic policy towards the continent, apart from some contact with guerrilla groups and various African leaders around the time of decolonization. This strategy of developing good relations represents a relatively new trend and builds on the synergy of multiple public and private actors. To mitigate the reality of expansion as a means of maximizing profits and prestige, Ankara has resorted to an arsenal of soft power instruments. Thus, development aid, humanitarian assistance and Islamic solidarity are nowadays strongly entwined with diplomacy and trade.