Turkey’s Strategic Economic Relations with Africa: Trends and Challenges

Abstract

The Ottoman Empire had extensive economic relations with Africa which provides the structural frameworks for the speedy acceleration of economic partnership and trade interactions between Africa and modern Turkey. This study seeks to examine the structural relevance, challenges and prospects of Turkey’s economic relations and interest in Africa from the traditional period of Ottoman Empire to the contemporary era of competitive interdependence. From a broad perspective, trade interactions between Turkey was driven but the values of economic pluralism and less of colonialist tendencies. Therefore, the greatest challenge that tacitly limits the geometric expansion of trade is the shift in perception of Africa as a hub for disease, economic stagnation, waste and wars. This form of stereotype is a direct input of neo-colonial propaganda adopted by the Western media to keep at bay competitive investors from Africa. So, Africa with an economic growth rate of over 5% offers Turkey new horizon for economic diversification. The consistent use of soft power by Turkey has brought new image and perception of Turkey as a credible economic partner with pragmatic approach promote symbiotic trade relations devoid of the manipulative devices of free market syndrome that benefits only the West at the detriment of Africa. Africa sees Turkey as an economic partner that will assist the continent to intensify the industrialization of its economic base in line with the global economic configuration. Therefore, Turkey-Africa economic partnership and trade volume is likely to expand in future because Turkey’s opening to Africa has created new markets and investment potential that will increase Africa’s participation in global economy and enhance Turkey’s role as a major player in the politics of resource allocation in the international economic system.