How deep does Turkey’s African initiative go?

I personally have always nurtured a special interest in Africa. So, I tend to seize every opportunity to pay a visit to the unfortunate countries of a continent that has suffered centuries of indescribable sorrow in the unrelenting grip of Western colonialism. I have visited Sudan, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt and Algeria, some on multiple occasions. When my dear friend, Mustafa Günay, the secretary-general of the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), invited me to attend the Turkey-Uganda Business Forum in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, between Nov. 29 and Dec. 1, I saw it as an opportunity for me visit the continent again and eagerly flew to Uganda with some 50 businessmen. TUSKON establishes bridges of commerce between Turkish and African businessmen using the infrastructure laid by Turkish schools spreading the light of science in Africa and elsewhere and making Turkish presence known around the world. There is a long list of contributions TUSKON has made to the economy of Turkey as well as those of its target countries.

Since its establishment, TUSKON has added great value to our economy and Turkish foreign trade by encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of the Turkish economy, and paving the way for Turkish foreign trade and investors entering new markets. I am sure that we will see the foundations laid by TUSKON, the business ties it mediated, and the global business network it established pay off by producing gains that will soon increase exponentially. Indeed, this organization embodies a mentality that seeks to ensure gains not only for Turkey, but also for partner countries and their societies, and that never approves of exploitation or abuse in theory or in practice. Accordingly, this underlying principle and the win-win philosophy it adopts help TUSKON boost the business volume not only of Turkey, but also its partners. By contributing to the welfare of these countries, it puts a grateful smile on the faces of the local people. As you know, this is an attitude that African countries and their peoples rarely experience from the white race, which some call Muzungu with a mixture of respect and fear.

As Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Bülent Arınç — who has made a habit of visiting the Turkish schools in the countries he visits and encouraging the teachers in their work– noted as he visited the Turkish Light Academy, a boarding school with some 450 students, in Kampala, Turkey is greatly indebted to these schools who provide education at great self-sacrifice, even in countries that do not have a single Turkish embassy or diplomatic representative office, and to the young Turkish volunteers and idealistic educators from Anatolia working in these schools.

As part of the African initiative that started in 2005, Turkey established its first embassies in 15 African countries. The first Turkish Ambassador to Kampala was appointed in March 2010.

As part of this initiative, Turkish Airlines (THY) launched direct flights to many African countries and cities, including Kampala. Until very recently, i.e. 2007, Turks had to fly aboard a foreign airliner from İstanbul to Germany or the UK and wait several hours there before finding another flight to Cape Town. Today, they can reach many African destinations directly from İstanbul with THY.

The truth one can discover if s/he is objective and fair is that many of Turkey’s foreign policy initiatives, including the opening of Turkish embassies in many African countries and THY’s adopting new destinations on the continent, are reliant on the infrastructure created by the Turkish schools and businessmen inspired by the Gülen movement in terms of economic, cultural, social and human potential. Indeed, when Turkish diplomats freshly appointed to these newly established embassies go to their respective countries, they find that the people make their experience and networks easily available to them. In return, the people whom these diplomats will provide service to, in most places besides a few Western countries, are no one but the sacrificial and generous Turkish businessmen and their families who had migrated because of suggestions by Mr. Fethullah Gülen, who lends all kinds of support to the Turkish volunteers and educators.

Turkey’s African initiative has a great chance of success. Why? Because the foundations of this initiative had already been laid by the Turkish volunteers long before 2005. A very solid and effective infrastructure for Turkey to improve its ties with these countries in many areas is already in place and extremely robust. Undeniably, this applies to the Pacific region, the Baltic region, Central Asia and Latin America, as well. On this road paved with pure sincerity for serving humanity as the sole goal and without abuse or exploitation, I personally believe in my heart that God will grant countless favors to Turkey and the countries to which Turks are providing services.