A New Actor or Passer-By? The Political Economy of Turkey’s Engagement with Africa

Despite its Ottoman past in the continent, Turkey did not show a serious interest in African affairs until recently. However, since 1998 there has been a revival in Turkey's involvement in developing relations with Africa. This was a passive attempt initially, but after 2005, it became an offensive one that culminated in the first Turkey–Africa Summit in 2008 and booming economic relations. Despite much rhetoric on humanitarian issues, Turkey's opening to Africa is driven by two factors: Turkey's need to diversify its economic relations in a new global political economy and its re-orientation in global politics. In the current situation, Turkey–Africa relations are still fragile and the future of the relations depends much on Turkey's domestic political developments and interest from the African side.