To his credit, Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted the third Turkish-African summit in Istanbul last weekend, attended by 36 representatives of an equal number of dancers, including 16 senior officials. According to the Tageszeitung in Berlin, the Turkish president did not show much reason.
“We want to work together on equal terms beyond imperialist tutelage and neo-colonial exploitation of Africa by other countries.” “15 million of the Turkish vaccine was made by Turkovac and scolded the West because Africa got so few vaccines from those produced internationally,” he notes in his article.
“But the key issue was defense co-operation, a field in which Turkey, as a new international player, makes sense with its own fighter drone. “Erdogan, the Bayraktar TB2 fighter drone, which proved its effectiveness in both Syria and Libya and in the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”
The left-wing newspaper published in Berlin describes the Turkish president’s future ambitions on the African continent.
“Although the sale of ammunition has played an important role, Turkey is interested in much more. Erdogan wants to establish his country as a fair partner in Africa between, on the one hand, the old European colonial powers, and, on the other, the ‘new imperialists’ from China. The interest for cooperation with Turkey is really great. That is why the number of Turkish embassies in Africa has increased from 12 to 43 since 2002. No non-African airline flies to as many destinations on the African continent as Turkish Airlines. The volume of trade between Turkey and countries under the Sahara does not exceed 10 billion dollars, but will increase significantly in the coming years. Turkish construction companies are at the starting point for the construction of airports, railways, roads and hospitals. Turkey manages schools and wants to cooperate in the agricultural sector with African countries. Its successes are viewed with suspicion by old forces that have the upper hand. “France in particular sees itself as being threatened by Turkey, according to French press reports, and President Macron’s increasingly harsh stance towards Erdogan.”
DW / Irini Anastassopoulou
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