Turkey's Security Policy in Africa
Turkey has begun
to take on global responsibilites in sustaining international peace, security
and stability at international organisations since 2002. With regard to
security perceptions, the concept of security had limited meaning before 2000.
In parallel to the increasing international role in world politics, the scope
of the concept of security has started to change significantly. During the Cold
War era, the security concept had been mainly shaped by the West so that Turkey
could not create a dynamic or independent concept of security or contribute to
global peace and security. It can be said that it failed to develop a strategy
to develop its social, economic, and political relations with Africa or play
any active role in international peace and security in Africa due to the lack
of the concept of security until 2000. Concepts need to be created according to
societies' social, economic, and political needs. After 2000, the scope of the
concept of security has been extended and designed according to economic and
political developments in Turkey. It included new threats, challenges,
opportunities, such as international terrorism, climate change, migration,
disasters, strategic partnerships, peacekeeping, peacemaking, proactive
diplomacy, and therefore it became complicated.
Turkey has a
unique geographical place in the world, which is forcing foreign policy makers
to adopt a comprehensive stance regarding security. Due to the geo-strategic
position, it has faced a wide range of different and difficult security threats
and challenges. During the Cold War, the concept of security comprised military
threats only. After 2000 it began to include both military and non-military
threats, such as economic, social, political, phycological, and diplomatic
dimensions of security. As a result of the changing concept of security, Turkey
has not only taken an active part in peacekeeping, peacebuilding and
peacemaking activities in Africa but has also made efforts to strengthen
social, economic and political structures of African states.
The UN currently
has seven peacekeeping operations throughout Africa and has conducted 22
peacekeeping operations in Africa in the past. Importantly, it has currently
supported 5 of 7 UN peacekeeping operations on the continent, as shown below in
Table 3.
Table 1: The UN Peacekeeping operations in Africa to
which Turkey has contributed
Name of the operation
|
Duration
|
UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI)
|
from 2004 to present
|
UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS)
|
from 2011 to present
|
UN Misison in Liberia (UNMIL)
|
from 2003 to present
|
African Union/United Nations
Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID)
|
from 2007 to present
|
UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (MONUSCO)
|
from 2010 to present
|
Turkey only supported three of the 22 UN peacekeeping operations in
Africa before 2000, shown below in Table 4 below.
Table 2: The UN
peacekeeping operations in Africa that Turkey supported before 2000
The Name of the Operation
|
Duration
|
UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL)
|
1999-2005
|
UN Mission in Somalia (UNOSOM II)
|
1993-1995
|
UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
|
1999-2010
|
The number of
Turkey's contributions to the UN peacekeeping operations in Africa before 2000
demonstrates that it was a passive actor in international politics and did not
play an active role in maintaining peace and security in the conflict areas of
Africa. The active involvement of Turkey in the UN peacekeeping operations in
Africa started after 2002, but the current number shows that it has more global
responsibilites and plays a more active role in resolving global issues through
international organisations. Importantly, Turkey has contributed to global
peace and security with a different approach that is focusing on different
dimensions of the concept of security. For instance, TIKA's activities in
Africa, Turkish NGOs' increasing humanitarian relief works in Africa, and
Turkey's official institutions' involvement in Africa have all contributed to
extending the scope of the concept of security positively. It should be
underlined that there is a strong relationship between the concept of security
and the countries’ international role. In line with the changing concept of
security, Turkey has begun to take on more global responsibilites in African
politics.
International
actors such as the U.S.A, China,
France, and the UK have strongly maintained their relations with Africa since
the end of colonialism in Africa. Turkish people started to become interested
in Africa's history, politics, economics and its global affairs after 2005,
with the Turkish Government's active involvement in Africa. It can be said that
they did not have any consciousness about the continent even though Turkey’s
relations with Africa go back to 16th century. When people heard
about it they used to think of it as wars, conflicts, famine and poverty.
Conversely, Africa had a negative picture in mind of Turkish people. Turkish
intellectuals, Turkish universites and Turkish think tanks did not deal with
Africa. Despite the fact that media plays a significant role in introducing Africa,
Turkish channels and newspapers did not become interested. Today, Turkey's
relations with Africa have dramatically changed and strengthened. Ten years ago
it was difficult to see any black persons in the different cities of Turkey,
but today it is so commonplace. At the same time, Turkish universites, think
tanks, and the media have also actively begun to deal with Africa.
Turkey has
increased its political, economic and social relations with Africa since 2005.
Importantly, the new principles of the TFP have played a strategic role in
changing the relations between Africa and Turkey. The article underlined that
domestic politics in Turkey has been one of the most important driving forces
shaping its new foreign and security policy towards Africa. With the ruling
party’s active involvement in Africa since 2005, the nature of the relations
between Turkey and Africa has changed. Africa has provided both
opportunites and challenges. Turkey can
create new international markets, strengthen its soft power with its active
social, economic and economic involvement in Africa, and gain diplomatic
support from African nations in the international realm. Importantly, economic
and diplomatic relations between Africa and Turkey have expanded significantly.
Whereas Turkey had only 12 embassies in Africa before 2002, it currently has 34
embassies on the continent.
Likewise, when its
trade volume with Africa in 2002 was $2 billion, it reached around $17 billion
in 2012. The target for 2015 is to reach $50 billion. It is important to note
that Turkey does not have a colonial relationship with Africa, therefore it
became a strategic actor in a short period among the other international actors
in Africa. High-level visits, diplomatic, economic and social relations, Turkish
NGOs' active involvement with Africa in humanitarian assistance programmes has
changed the old parameters of relations between Turkey and Africa. It is also
important to underline that Turkey has faced some difficulties with its African
policy. The first challenge is whether or not Turkish foreign policy is ready
to deal with African politics. Africa has been the most neglected foreign
policy area since Turkey was created in 1923. In other words, even though
Turkey has opened new embassies through Africa, it is a questionable whether or
not it has qualified people understanding and knowing Africa to increase
diplomatic, economic, social and cultural relations. It should not be forgotten
that there are many international actors in Africa, including the U.S.A, the
EU, the UK., France, China, India, Israel, Iran, Brazil, Japan and Russia.
Turkey should not forget the strategic roles of these actors and make efforts
to create new strategic partnership areas with these actors in Africa.
