Turkish FM Cavusoglu to conclude West Africa visit
Turkish Foreign Minister Melvut Cavusoglu is scheduled to end his West Africa tour today in Benin. Cavusoglu held a forum in Senegal on Tuesday and moved to Ghana the following day for further bilateral consultations.
Cavusoglu’s concluding meetings will center on Turkish soft power and humanitarian aid in Benin, alongside advancing military asset and manufacturing trade and import discussions. His appearance in West Africa coincides with Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s continued efforts to circumvent the Africa Partnership Policy (APP).
Erdogan’s ‘Neo-ottoman’ AAP approach aims to solidify Turkey-Africa diplomacy – in particular in economic, security and infrastructure humanitarian aid. Following this approach, Turkey has made sweeping efforts to build an African regional presence to balance its reliance on the EU. This includes Erdogan’s recent pledge to increase bilateral trade to $50B alongside the provision of long-standing strategic cooperation with African nations. 37 Turkish embassies have so far been established across Africa.
It is likely Cavusoglu will encourage growth in Benin-Turkish trade via the AAP to further Ankara’s presence in West Africa. This West Africa tour follows Recep’s visits to African nations in 2021 – where he looks to increase Turkey’s humanitarianism policies – as he sizes up the opportunity to seize African geopolitical support.
