Turkey plans African cooperation expansion at Djibouti ministerial meeting

Turkey’s Foreign Minister will attend a Turkey-Africa ministerial meeting in Djibouti next week, in a bid to strengthen cooperation with the continent.

The gathering, scheduled for November 2-3, will host representatives from 14 African countries and evaluate progress since the 2021 conference.

Turkey has significantly increased its African presence, with trade growing nearly eight-fold and expanded diplomatic and military support across the continent. The meeting coincides with Turkish mediation efforts in the Somalia-Ethiopia dispute over Somaliland’s coastline deal. Officials acknowledge challenges due to trust issues between the parties but express hope for positive developments.

Turkey recently signed mining cooperation agreements with Niger, where its Mineral Research and Exploration authority controls three gold mining fields, with production expected to begin this year. The expansion competes with French, Russian, and Chinese influence in Africa, as Turkey forges partnerships involving armed drone sales to Somalia, Ethiopia, and other nations.

Officials emphasize that Turkey’s military equipment and training support aims to enhance national capabilities and counter terrorism. They cite Burkina Faso’s increased territorial control using Turkish drones as evidence of success.

However, recent reports indicate a Turkish drone strike in Mali killed eight people and wounded twenty others among Tuareg rebels.