Erdogan kicks off African tour to strengthen Turkish diplomacy on the continent

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan landed in Luanda on Monday for a bilateral meeting with the President of Angola, João Lourenço, as part of an African diplomatic tour that will also take him to Togo and Nigeria in the coming days and will end on 20 October. With this trip, the Ottoman leader aims to strengthen his ties on the continent and reaffirm Ankara's role in the region.

This is the first time that Erdoğan has visited Angola, but it was not his first time in the presence of the leader of the former Portuguese colony. Lourenço, president since 2017 and former defence minister, travelled to Turkey last July for an initial meeting with his counterpart. A dialogue that they resumed on Monday to reach a series of agreements of understanding with the aim of strengthening cooperation between the two countries, announced during a joint press conference.

Hours after the meeting, the Turkish leader gave a speech in the Angolan National Assembly in which he attacked neo-colonialism and criticised the Western powers that, like Turkey, are trying to gain a foothold on the continent: "There are still those who cannot accept the gains of independence, freedom and equality of the African peoples. Lately we have been witnessing the reappearance of this indigestion," Erdoğan told the lower house.

"We reject Western-centred orientalist approaches to the African continent. We embrace the peoples of Africa without discrimination," Erdoğan said. These words reflect Ankara's strategy to extend its influence in a continent ravaged by the exploitation of natural resources and politically fractured: to win the trust of leaders.

The West's dismal record in Africa represents an opportunity for Ankara, which can make its ally status count by promoting soft power. To this end, Turkey can count on its historical ties on the continent and its critical stance towards colonialism. Moreover, the Eurasian nation is one of the main strategic economic partners of African states. So much so that by the end of 2020, the trade volume would reach 25 billion dollars.

Turkey's head of diplomacy, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, expressed himself in this sense when he declared that Turkey's perception of Africa is based on "a win-win policy based on equality, transparency and sustainability". A path that has rewarded the country with the opening of some thirty embassies on the continent since 2003.

Turkey's expansion on the continent was built on four pillars: humanitarian missions, diplomacy and trade agreements. These ingredients have allowed the Turkish president to visit more than 30 African nations since his time as prime minister. In addition, the Turkish Republic has the advantage of its Islamic confession, a key feature that it shares with many other countries on the continent.

The fourth and last pillar, but no less important, are the television series produced in Turkey. This is one of the most prominent means of soft power, as its popularity in Africa has grown exponentially.

After leaving Angola, Erdoğan will head to the Togolese capital of Lomé to discuss bilateral relations with the government leadership, also his first visit to the sub-Saharan country. He will then arrive in Abuja, Nigeria, a country whose ties with Turkey remain strong.