Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he discussed defense and security cooperation with Senegal’s visiting prime minister Ousmane Sonko on Thursday, hailing Turkey’s growing ties with Africa.
“Today we discussed joint steps that we can take in the areas of security, the defense industry and the fight against terrorism,” Erdogan told a televised press conference with Sonko in the capital, Ankara.
“We are pleased with the growing interest of our African brothers in Turkish defense products. We look forward to further strengthening our solidarity in this area in the coming period,” he said.
Turkey has, in recent years, consolidated its foothold in Africa, at a time when many African countries are turning away from their former colonial rulers.
Ankara has signed defense agreements with several states spanning the continent, including Somalia, Libya, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Those agreements have opened up contracts for Turkey’s defense manufacturers, notably for its reputedly reliable and inexpensive drones.
On Thursday, Erdogan hailed Africa as the “star of our century” with its wealth of young workers, dynamism, and natural beauty.
“No country with a global vision can ignore the African continent or turn its back on this magnificent geography,” he said.
He said anyone who criticized the Turkish-African partnership was “trying to confine our country to shallow waters.”
“We reject any arrogant, condescending, orientalist approach to the African continent,” he added.
