China is not the only global power that is aggressively implementing a policy of expansionism. Over the past several years, under the leadership of President Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has also made moves to expand its sphere of influence across the globe and translate these into tangible land gains. Erdogan has turned his attention to West Africa to foster an alliance with countries such as Algeria, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal. However, given Turkey’s track record as a destabilizing force in countries such as Syria and Libya, the nation’s increasing interest in the already tenuous West African region is concerning and likely to undermine positive progress in the region in favor of advancing Turkey’s interests.
Turkey’s expansionist policies are founded on three key prongs. The first is “Neo-Ottomanism”, in which the country aims to promote its political and social influence within regions that were part of the former Ottoman Empire and are home to ethnic Turks, or people who share strong historical and cultural ties with Turkey. The second prong centers on fostering strong relationships with other majority Muslim nations worldwide, and the third prong focuses on molding relationships with countries that could help Turkey undermine its rivals, such as Greece and France. Now, Turkey is looking to the Sahel region in West Africa to expand its influence.
West Africa is integral to France’s global sphere of influence as the former colonial power still wields a significant amount of influence in the region. However, over the past several years, France’s popularity in West Africa has steadily declined. In 2014, France launched Operation Barkhane, an anti-insurgent operation led by the French military against Islamist extremist groups based in the Sahel region of West Africa. As part of this operation, France deployed approximately 4,500 military personnel. Since then, at least 44 French soldiers have been killed, and allied nations have questioned whether France will be able to achieve its goals of combating extremism in the Sahel effectively. Anti-French sentiment and disillusionment are also on the rise in the G5 Sahel nations (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger).
Simultaneously, beginning in 2013, Turkey has made a concerted effort to foster stronger relationships with West African nations. In 2018, Erdogan participated in an official state visit to Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, and Mali. He has also made visits to Tunisia and Algeria, partly in an attempt to sway the Maghreb nations towards Turkey’s sphere of influence as the country continues to dispute with France over events in Libya.
Furthermore, in 2019, the Turkish government took advantage of the cultural and religious history it shares with many African nations and opened one of the biggest mosques in Africa, in Ghana. Most recently, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Mali, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal. He also visited Niger in July and signed a military cooperation agreement with the government. This agreement is critical as it sets the stage for Turkey to open a military base in the country. This move deepens the physical threat to France’s flailing influence in the region and creates an opportunity to establish Turkish influence in the region concretely.
Although many of Turkey’s recent initiatives in West Africa seek to undermine France’s influence in the region, the consequences of these efforts are far-reaching. Many experts have expressed concerns that given Turkey’s aggressive military practices and history of exploitative policies, the brokering of new partnerships in West Africa could significantly undermine the region and introduce further violence and turmoil, as was seen in northern Syria and Libya. Thus far, Erdogan has assured African nations that Turkey is not seeking to extract its resources. To this end, Turkey has been supporting humanitarian projects such as food distribution efforts in the region. However, there’s more to this than meets the eye.
When Turkey first approached African nations with offers of partnerships and investments, it framed these collaborations as economic aid rather than military involvement. Take, for example, Somalia, a country that is poverty and conflict-ridden. In 2017, after Turkey offered the country assistance, it established a military base in the country’s capital, Mogadishu, and since then, it has continued to expand its military prowess across the continent. This expansion of military power and policies is reflected in the fact that Turkish military expenditures are rising. In 2019, the country’s military spending increased by 5.8% and a whopping 86% between 2010 and 2019.
Turkey’s expansion of political and military might across the continent has been met with mixed reactions. Some African nations have fostered strong bonds with the country, as they value the shared political, social, and religious history their nations share. Other countries, however, have framed Turkey’s expansionism as a form of neocolonialism and are wary of the country’s efforts.
Regardless of the motivations behind Turkey’s expansion into West Africa, geopolitical experts must pay greater attention to Turkey’s growing role in the region. The area is already experiencing a significant amount of turmoil and economic hardship, and the rise of a destabilizing and militarized influence threatens to undermine any efforts to bring peace and stability in the region.
