Turkey seeks to strengthen foothold in Africa’s gold, oil markets

Turkey is following in the footsteps of China and Russia in seeking to strengthen its foothold in the continent focusing mainly on oil and gold.

Next month, Turkey will send the research vessel Oruc Reis to explore offshore oil blocks in Somalia, where Ankara has its largest overseas military base and manages key infrastructure.

Turkish drones have supported Somalia’s fight against al-Shabaab, and the Turkish parliament has approved naval support for Somali waters.

Turkey’s engagement with Somalia is part of a broader strategy to deepen ties across Africa. Over the past decade, Turkey has provided over $1 billion in aid to Somalia.

Recently, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Niger, signing deals after the country expelled US and French troops.

Turkish mining company MTA is exploring for gold in Niger. Turkey has held talks with Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Zimbabwe in the past three months.

Meanwhile, Afro Turk SA has made efforts to enter Burkina Faso’s gold market while Turkish Airlines now flies to dozens of remote locations on the continent.