Turkey Sets Sights On Boosting Trade Volume With Africa

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Turkey aims to increase its trade volume with Africa to $50 billion by 2015, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said when kicking off a tour of Africa that includes stops in Gabon, Niger and Senegal.

Joined by a delegation of more than 250 businessmen, Erdogan began his trip to three West African countries in Gabon on Sunday. He is scheduled to travel to Niger and Senegal next.

The visit is part of the government's aspirations to widen its economic and political influence in Africa, a continent widely neglected before Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AK Party) first came to power a decade ago. Over the past three years, Turkey has opened 19 embassies across Africa, and its national flag carrier Turkish Airlines has launched flights to numerous African destinations.

Erdogan, who is accompanied by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag and Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Çaglayan, addressed Turkish and Gabonese businessmen at a forum held in Cite de la Democratie, a neighborhood in Libreville, Gabon, on Sunday.

Stating that Gabon was his first trip abroad in 2013, Erdogan said it marks a step forward in relations between the two countries.

Erdogan underlined that Turkey's aim was to form a legal infrastructure for entrepreneurs and encourage investments and, accordingly, the Turkish government would like to see economic agreements between Turkey and Gabon signed and put into practice as soon as possible.

The prime minister stated that the global economic recession during the period 2007-2010 negatively affected trade relations between Turkey and Gabon, decreasing overall figures.

Erdogan said trade between Turkey and Gabon in 2011 began to recover, adding: "In the first 11 months of 2012, the trade volume was $41 million. When December's numbers come in, we will see that figures in 2012 were higher than those of 2007."

"We all know that the potential of both countries is significantly greater. In this new period, we will work harder and improve our cooperation in every field. Hopefully, we will increase these figures soon," said Erdogan.

Erdogan stated that following his visit, a business council will be set up between Turkey and Gabon. "We attach importance to the formation of a [Turkey-Gabon] business council. In Africa, we have already set up 16 business councils," said Erdogan.

The total amount of Turkish exports to Africa increased 31.4 percent in 2012 compared to figures for 2011, reaching $12.1 billion, according to a press statement released by Economy Minister Zafer Çaglayan on Dec. 28. Turkey's market share in Africa also rose to 8.7 percent from 7.5 percent in 2011.

The greatest contribution to this increase came from trade with North African countries. Of the $12.1 billion in Turkish exports to Africa in 2012, $8.6 billion were to North African

In Gabon, Erdogan met with with Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba and his Gabonese counterpart, Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima, on Monday and signed cooperation agreements.

Erdogan was also scheduled to make a speech at the Gabonese Parliament and inaugurate the Turkish Embassy building in Libreville.

The Gabonese president visited Turkey in mid-July and met with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gül, who welcomed Ondimba with a formal ceremony at the Çankaya presidential palace.

Located in the Gulf of Guinea, Gabon has extensive oil fields. Niger already exports oil to Turkey, albeit in small amounts. Niger is also an important source of uranium.

Senegal, Erdogan's last stop on his African tour, plays a key role in maintaining the balance of political power in West Africa. His visit will strengthen Turkey's bonds with the country, an influential actor in its region.

In addition to stepping up economic relations, Turkey has developed very successful cultural and political relations with African countries over the last decade.

As an influential soft power, Turkey mediated between the Sudanese government and the newly independent South Sudan in 2005 as well as between Ethiopia and Eritrea after a bloody war between the two came to an end in 2000.

Additionally, with an increasing number of Turkish schools highly active in West Africa, the cultural bonds between Turkey and the African continent have been strengthened.

Turkey Sets Sights On Boosting Trade Volume With Africa

 

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Another perspective for this new 5 days Africa tour

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's new interest in visiting West African countries demonstrates Turkey's increasing economic interest in the African continent and will further promote the activities of Turkish businessmen and investors there, Turkish experts say.

Accompanied by a delegation of more than 250 businessmen, Erdoğan began his trip to three West African countries in Gabon on Sunday. He will travel to Niger and Senegal next.

The businessmen with him come from a range of sectors, from agriculture to mining, but the construction sector is best represented, according to the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM). The assembly has also confirmed the energy sector is well represented and oil trade issues are expected to be discussed during the business meetings that would be held in each of the three countries.

Erdoğan's West African tour is seen as an important part of Turkey's policy of further developing relations with African nations. The main focus of his meetings will be on strengthening economic relations with Africa, a Turkish official told Sunday's Zaman on condition of anonymity.

“The fact that the meeting will be the first diplomatic visit of 2013 can be interpreted as a sign of the importance Turkey places on Africa,” the official added.

The prime minister's visit will pave the way to new opportunities for Turkish businessmen, Ali Engin Oba, head of international relations department at Mersin's Çağ University and vice president of the Turkish-Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM), stated in remarks to Sunday's Zaman.

“Such official visits will be beneficial because Turkish businessmen will take trade offers and get involved in the development of infrastructure on the African continent,” Oba said.

As a former ambassador who has served in a number of African countries, Oba explained that because African political leaders have a lot of influence across the continent, relations developed with African leaders during Erdoğan's visit will facilitate economic and political relations throughout the continent.

The total amount of Turkish exports to Africa increased 31.4 percent in 2012 compared to figures for 2011, reaching $12.1 billion, according to a press statement released by Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan on Dec. 28. Turkey's market share in Africa also rose to 8.7 percent from 7.5 percent in 2011.

The greatest contribution to this increase came from trade with North African countries. Of the $12.1 billion in Turkish exports to Africa in 2012, $8.6 billion were to North African countries.

Energy trade to be discussed during visit

Turkish experts predict that energy will be a topic of discussion during the visits, noting West Africa's wealth in oil fields.

“Oil issues will be discussed in detail at those meetings. In addition to Brazil and China, Turkey would like to make oil deals with West African countries, a region mostly dominated by US companies,” said Hasan Öztürk, a research fellow on Africa with İstanbul-based think tank Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies (BİLGESAM).

Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Gabon has extensive oil fields. Niger already exports oil to Turkey, albeit in small amounts.

Niger is also an important source of uranium. As Turkey has started construction of its first nuclear power plant in cooperation with Russia and is planning to build two more, Turkey would benefit from strong relations with uranium-rich countries to be able to fuel those plants, Öztürk stated.

“Turkey would benefit from [greater ties with] Africa in terms of diversifying its energy sources,” Öztürk added.

Located in the Sahel region of Africa, Niger is currently coping with an influx of refugees from politically unstable countries including the Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Libya.

Turkey aims to have three nuclear power plants operational by 2023. Ankara inked a $20 billion deal with Russia's Atomstroyexport for the construction of Turkey's first nuclear plant in the southern town of Akkuyu back in 2010.

Senegal, Erdoğan's last stop on his African tour, plays an important role in maintaining the balances in West Africa. His visit will strengthen Turkey's bonds with this country so influential in its region.

Turkey vying for influence in former French colonies

In addition to stepping up economic relations, Turkey has developed very successful cultural and political relations with African countries over the last decade.

As an influential soft power, Turkey mediated between the newly independent South and North Sudan in 2005 as well as between Ethiopia and Eritrea after a bloody war between the two came to an end in 2000.

Additionally, with an increasing number of Turkish schools highly active in West Africa, the cultural bonds between Turkey and the African continent have been strengthened.

These improving relations have created a rivalry between France and Turkey, especially following Turkey's economic leap forward in Libya. All three countries included on Erdoğan's tour are former French colonies.

Turkey's increasing interest in Africa, along with that of other rising powers such as China, Brazil and India, is creating an opportunity for African countries rid themselves of the influence of former colonizing powers such as France.

“Certain groups in Africa are already showing efforts to break away from the influence of the big colonizing powers. Those groups are aware of France's economic problems and could guess that France would not continue its former level of interest in Africa because of those problems. So, they are trying to develop relations with powers that may want to develop economic, social and cultural solidarity with them, including Turkey,” Oba explained.

Oba also noted that Turkish and French interests in Africa are not comparable. Turkey seeks to develop fair economic and political relations with Africa and is not present in Africa as a colonial power, he stated.

Turkey's policy of further developing relations with Africa dates back to 1988. Turkey made plans to expand relations with Africa at that time, but these plans failed to be implemented due to domestic woes.

A landmark in Turkish-African relations was seen in 2005, when Turkey's efforts to boost relations with emerging African markets proved successful. The year 2005 was declared the Year of Africa in Turkey, prompting a series of exchanges between Turkey and a number of African countries.

Erdo

 

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We should open more and more schools, colleges. The kids in Africa was singing our national anthem.