The rising security cooperation of turkey in Africa: an assessment from the military perspective

Abstract

In a context where many eyes focus on the security and strategic cooperation between Turkey and the official Government of Libya, Ankara's military presence in this country, as much impressive as it may seem, does not reflect their broader partnership that is gradually being established in Africa at large. It is therefore surprising to see that so far no serious mainstream analysis has captured this dimension. This research paper thus answer the question how does Turkey use the security and military approaches to give more volume to its foreign policy towards Africa? At the core of these exchanges lays a network of security and military agreements concluded with more than twenty African countries. This partnership then extends through various training programs and defense industries’ cooperation. The Turkish military facility base in Somalia, the first of its kind in “Black Africa”, also remains a perfect example of projection and military proactivity in the new grammar of Turkey's foreign policy, and an answer to traditional westerns powers in Africa despite various challenges.