Tag: Africa

  • Nigeria: Selling Turkey As a Tourist Destination

    Nigeria: Selling Turkey As a Tourist Destination

    Turkey and Nigeria have over the past few years consciously made efforts to forge stronger bilateral ties. This is evident in the numerous trade expos organized by the Turkish Ministry of Economy, the Nigerian Ministry of Trade and Investment and other bodies. One of such events was held late last month at the Convention Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites.

    One of the outfits selling a service was VEFA Tourism and Travels. They were offering tours of Turkey. What is the selling point? A touch of holiness and history at the same time in the Turkish cities of Istanbul, Ephesus, Antakya, Capadocia and Tarsus.

    Istanbul is the most famous of these cities and it’s increasingly becoming a favourite destination for tourists. Seven million tourists visited in 2010 when it was named the European Capital of Culture, making the city the 10th most popular destination in the world. Istanbul’s biggest merit remains its historic centre. The city itself is divided into European and Asian parts and is partially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Ephesus too has a claim to fame. It was the city where the Christian evangelist Saint Paul wrote his famous Epistles. The city is also home to the House of the Virgin Mary and the relics of Roman Library of Celsus.

    Tarsus is sold as the focal point of many civilizations including the Roman Empire, when Tarsus was the capital of the province of Cilicia, the scene of the first meeting between Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and the birthplace of Paul the Apostle.

    The other cities too had unique reasons why they are tourist attractions and the way these cities were being sold by the Turks at the Lagos Expo made it seem like the only place to go for those who have a thing for “holiness and history”.

    via allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Selling Turkey As a Tourist Destination.

  • How Turkey is emerging as a development partner in Africa

    How Turkey is emerging as a development partner in Africa

    Turkey provides assistance for relief aid and reconstruction, but also works as a business partner and invests in youth education

    • Alpaslan Özerdem
    • Guardian Professional, 
    Turkey aid in Somalia
    A displaced Somalian man walks away with food at a centre run by Turkish aid agency in the Howlwadaag district of southern Mogadishu. Photograph: Feisal Omar/Reuters

    Turkey has emerged as a generous donor for humanitarian crises across the world over the past five years, especially in the context ofAfrica.

    In 2011, while official development assistance (ODA) fell in 16 DAC countries, Turkey’s net ODA increased by over 38%. Following the ‘Turkey – Africa Co-operation summit’ in Istanbul in August 2008, the African Union declared Turkey a ‘strategic partner’ and in May 2010, Istanbul was the venue for the 4th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

    Though Turkey is relatively new in African politics, trade and aid circles, it has already expanded its area of influence in the continent by linking its soft power tools of transportation links, trade and education closely with its foreign policy.

    In the most simplified terms, this is the process undertaken by Turkey: once an African country is identified for bilateral relations by the Turkish foreign ministry, a diplomatic presence will be established, Turkish Airlines will launch a flight destination and economic links will be formed by globally active Turkish companies.

    Meanwhile, the foreign ministry might sign an agreement to ease the existing visa regime to increase interaction in commerce, academia and culture. A number of Turkish schools run by the Gülen Movement – highly sought after by local communities – also play an active role in consolidating relations and the Turkish government may provide scholarship opportunities for graduates of these schools to take a university degree in Turkey.

    Though some of these measures are fairly traditional means of forming bilateral relations for other donor countries, what Turkey seems to do differently is that it joins up its efforts in the realms of diplomacy, economics, trade, culture and education.

    In Somalia, for example, Turkey has become the largest donor among non-OECD-DAC countries and one of the most active actors in humanitarian aid and peace-building. There are a number of reasons for Somalia to become an interest for Turkey in this way, including geopolitical interests, socio-cultural and religious ties and Turkey’s wider business interests in Africa as well as Turkey’s newly gained confidence in tackling global challenges.

    In August 2011, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, accompanied by a large entourage, travelled to Somalia to raise awareness among the international community of the ongoing conflict – the first non-African leader visiting Somalia over the past two decades. The visit brought Somalia back to the attention of a number of other donors, as it received a huge coverage by international media. For Turkey’s internal politics too, such high profile coverage meant strong public support for the Somalia aid campaign and popularity for the governing party.

    Turkish aid organisations such as Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and theTurkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) are highly active in a wide range of infrastructure, welfare and service sector programmes in the country such as clearing rubbish, providing clean water, building hospitals and running the Mogadishu’s permanent settlement for displaced Somalians. In 2011, the Turkish government donated $49m (£32m) to Somalia, but its successful mobilisation of private donations resulted in another sum of $365m. In 2012, over 1,200 Somali students received full scholarships to study in Turkey with a budget of nearly $70m.

    One key to Turkey’s success is that it has much more presence in the streets of Mogadishu than many other actors. Some UN agencies and international NGOs have been running their programmes through remote management from Nairobi due to security challenges, however Turkish officials and aid workers have continued to work in the city. This is because Turkey has established a high level of trust within government, various armed groups and war-torn communities. Its Islamic background is also an important factor, according to Kilian Kleinschmidt, the UN’s deputy humanitarian co-ordinator in Somalia.

    So, the Somalia experience shows that Turkey’s main strength in response to peace-building challenges is the way it uses its different capacities and resources in a co-ordinated way; providing assistance for relief aid and reconstruction, but also working with Somalia as a business partner and investing in the youth education.

    However, this is not going to be a trouble free journey for Turkey. Although a joined up humanitarian strategy co-ordinated by its ministry of foreign affairs seems to increase effectiveness on the ground, Turkey may have to face tough future questions on the ethics of such a strategy, due to the dual principles of neutrality and impartiality for humanitarian responses.

    Also, being an emerging power and getting involved in humanitarian crises around the world demands a sophisticated aid strategy and there is a huge need for Turkey to learn from the experiences of traditional donors such as US, EU countries and Japan. Avoiding their mistakes is key, but at the same time, there is no point in re-inventing the wheel.

    Turkey hasn’t yet come to terms with the fact that it would make more sense to work with these actors and take a co-ordinated response rather than going it alone as often it does. In the long-term this is likely to create unnecessary tensions. If it wants to become a long-term player in the field of humanitarian response, Turkey will need as many friends as possible.

    Professor Alpaslan Özerdem is director of the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies at Coventry University. He tweets as@AlpOzerdem

    This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To get more articles like this direct to your inbox, sign up free to become a member of the Global Development Professionals Network

  • Turkey sets its sights on Africa

    Turkey sets its sights on Africa

    Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Gabon, Niger and Senegal as part of an African tour. China, India and Brazil have all increased their presence on the continent. Now Turkey is in the mix.

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    First stop Gabon. This is where Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday (06.01.2012) began his official visit to Africa. His itinerary also includes stops in Niger and Senegal.

    Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Gabon is one of the resource-rich countries in Africa, and when measured by gross domestic product, it is one of the richest countries on the continent.

    In contrast, Niger is one of the world’s poorest countries, according to the 2011 United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).

    Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hospital. (Foto:AU-UN IST, Stuart Price/AP/dapd) Erdogan visited Somalia in August 2011to highlight the need for famine relief

    The Index is used to measure poverty, literacy, education, life expectancy and other development factors. However, the landlocked country plays an important role as an exporter of raw materials, especially uranium.

    Senegal is one of the most politically and economically stable countries in West Africa, with a relatively well-functioning administrative structure. Nonetheless, the country’s economic growth still lags behind other countries in the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS). According to the 2011 United Nations HDI, Senegal occupies position 155 out of 187countries. This is where Erdogan’s six-day African trip is set to end.

    Spreading tentacles

    Under the leadership of Erdogan’s AK Party, Turkey has been developing the African market. The first signal of this diplomatic offensive came in 1998 with the formulation of a new policy towards Africa.

    Turkey declared 2005 as the official “Year of Africa”. This was followed by the first state visit by a Turkish prime minister to South Africa and Ethiopia. Later the African Union honored Turkey by granting it observer status.

    Gero Erdmann, an expert on Africa from the Leibnitz Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA), told DW that Ankara’s interest in Africa started even earlier. In his opinion, Turkey’s move was “made necessary by the reorientation of Turkish politics after the end of the Cold War.”

    Currently Turkey has 17 embassies in sub-Saharan Africa and is planning to open more diplomatic missions on the African continent.

    According to a study by Erdmann, the Turkish State Administration on Religious Affairs ( known as the Diyanet) has opened many private schools and vocational training opportunities for African imams with the aim of providing an enlightened form of Islam.

    A Turkish Airlines plane in the sky. Foto by dpa +++(c) dpa Turkish Airlines has increased flights to Africa

    Africa has become a top priority in Ankara.

    According to Dr. Gülistan Gürbey, lecturer at the Otto Suhr Institute in Berlin, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu takes a personal interest in developing the country’s policy towards Africa. It was Davutoglu who, while working at university in the 90s, developed a policy paper. The concept of “strategic depth”, according to Gürbey, is a return to the Ottoman past and a religious-cultural muslim identity.

    “Modern Turkey sees itself as a key country from multiple continents,” the lecturer said.

    The bigger picture

    Turkey’s new interest in Africa is reflected in trade statistics. Its economic interest in the continent is currently not based on the need for raw materials and energy resources, but rather in seeking a market for Turkish products.

    Trade between Ankara and Africa has increased five times since 2002 when Turkey steadily began to do business with Africa. Turkish investors are mainly keen on infrastructure and building projects such as in Ethiopia and Sudan, or textiles and food processing in South Africa.

    Unlike other competitors, who at first pursue a resource policy, Turkey has a strategic interest in Africa, says Gero Erdmann from the GIGA Institute in Leibnitz.

    Gero Erdmann and Gülistan Gürbey at a GIGA conference on Turkey in Africa Autor/Copyright: Yilma Hinz, DW, Gero Erdmann(left) and Gülistan Gürbey (right) at a GIGA conference on Turkey in Africa

    “Turkey wants to garner UN votes in Africa for itself because it would like to have a permanent seat on the Security Council,” Erdmann said.

    Ankara’s strategy is to win the support of African countries in international forums in a highly visible development policy. One example is the drought in Somalia.

    ‘The Ottoman syndrome’

    Turkey’s relationship with Africa, as in the Middle East has been met with criticism both at home and in parts of Europe.

    Liberal politicians and scholars have hinted at a supposedly pro-Arab, Islamist orientation and are wary of neo-Ottoman intentions. Other observers question how a country that is in the course of applying for EU membership, can be associated with human rights abuses, repression of religious freedom and disregard for the rule of law.

    In Africa, Turkey sees itself as a defender of human rights, as witnessed in the 2011 4th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries which was hosted by Istanbul.

    According to Erdmann, the lack of a colonial history link to Africa makes Turkey an attractive partner for African governments and not so much a player in the new scramble for African resources.

    via Turkey sets its sights on Africa | Africa | DW.DE | 08.01.2013.

  • Young Africans now to pitch camp in Istanbul

    Young Africans now to pitch camp in Istanbul

    By Majuto Omary

    The Citizen Reporter

    Dar es Salaam. Mainland giants Young Africans will now step up their preparations for the second round of the Vodacom Premier League by pitching a camp in Turkey instead of South Africa, as earlier announced.

    The club’s competitions committee chairman, Abdallah bin Kleb, confirmed yesterday that plans were on for the team to depart for Istanbul for a two-week camp ahead of the decisive round.

    “Preparations and logistics for the trip are afoot. We expect to leave for Turkey on December 27,’ said Kleb.

    He said the team’s technical bench would name players who will make the trip two or three days before their departure.

    “Our decision to camp in Istanbul, Turkey, instead of South Africa stems from the fact that at that time the South African football authorities will be busy with preparations for the 2012 Africa Nations Cup finals,” he said.

    He voiced optimism that the training stint in Turkey would give the Jangwani Street boys the exposure they need ahead of the second round.

    “We expect to play a series of build-up matches against top teams in Turkey during our two-week stay in Istanbul,” he said. He fell short of naming the sides.

    However, this is not the first time Yanga publicise their European camping plans and end up camping in the country or neighbouring countries. Before the kickoff of the 2012/13 they said the same and did the opposite – they flew to Kigali for a two-week training.

    Kleb said their target was to wrest the league title from their arch-rivals Simba when the race for the Mainland’s soccer supremacy comes to an end in May next year.

    The Kagame Cup champions top the 14-team league with 29 points from 13 matches, six points ahead of title-holders Simba and five ahead of second-placed Azam FC.

    via Young Africans now to pitch camp in Istanbul.

  • Turkey Turns to Region – Follows China

    Turkey Turns to Region – Follows China

    Turkey is now emulating China’s push to boost trade with East Africa, on top of eroding the market share of Africa’s traditional European and North American trading partners.

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    The Turkish deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc his opening speech of the ongoing Turkey-Africa forum, in the Turkish Capital, Ankara; said that Africa holds a special relationship of brotherhood and business in the heart of Turkey.

    “We are committed to do business with Africans on an equal footing. We are opening up ourselves for Africa than any other Western country. Contrary to colonist powers, Turkish investors try to process resources of Africa within the respective African countries” Arinc added.

    The forum is being attended by journalists and delegates from 54 countries.

    Turkey, he said, has massively grown its trade, industry and construction sector in the previous years on the African continent. He also applauded Ugandans for their hospitality; a spirit the deputy premier said, “Will help Turkey increase its investments in Uganda.”

    “Alongside business, we will also help establish peace and stability on the continent,” he added. Turkish personnel, he said, and financial aid, are deployed in six nations in Africa.

    By the end of the 2012, there will be 33 Turkish embassies in Africa, with several more to open in the coming years. Turkish Airlines now has regular flights to Addis Ababa, Dakar, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Lagos, seeking to turn Istanbul into a major hub for African travelers.

    Turkey’s trade with Africa has recently exceeded the US$ 10 billion mark – slightly less than one tenth of China-Africa trade, but a tenfold increase since 2000 nonetheless.

    The recent African Economic Outlook report shows that Turkey is massively extending its fronts in construction and trade on the African continent.

    It has joined hands with the other economic super powers to account for about 39 percent of Africa’s trade in merchandize in 2009; up from 23 percent a decade earlier, partly reads the report.

    The findings are in the report produced by the African Development Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations Development Programme and the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

    China accounted for 13.9 percent of Africa’s total trade of $629 billion in 2009, while India accounted for 5.1 percent, South Korea 2.6 percent, Brazil 2.5 percent, Turkey 2.4 percent and Thailand 1.1 percent, according to the outlook.

    Africa’s new trading partners may also help it reduce its reliance on exports of raw materials. While 85 percent of foreign direct investment flows from traditional investors go into resource-rich countries, the ratio for emerging partners is closer to 70 percent.

    Turkey-Uganda relations are on the rise both socially and economically as part of Turkey’s outreach to African countries to support stability and security, and fixing poverty related issues. Of late, they have also crossed into the road construction sector.

    High-level visits, forums, investment and trade delegations between the countries are broadening each country’s knowledge. Of recent a top Government delegation was on an official visit in Uganda.

    Education was Turkey’s first investment in Uganda followed by the opening of the Turkish Airlines in June this year. Turkish foreign ministry made a declaration in 2005 to turn Africa into the country’s investment hub and her airline’s most valuable destination.

    Of late, the East African Community started considering a non-binding trade and investment deals proposed by Turkey, according to Bloomberg News.

    The community may in future consider entering similar accords with other emerging economies including India and China. The East African Community comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

    First established in 1967, the community was re-established in 2000 after it was dissolved in 1977, according to its official website. South Sudan and Somalia have applied to become full members of the community.

    Usman Bugaje one of the top researchers and publishers from Nigeria says that there is nothing wrong from Turkey picking a few lessons from what other countries like China and India have done. He strongly believes that Turkey will be a great force on the African continent.

    Rabeb Aloui a political and economic news analyst in Tunisia says that Turkey has a great future since it has already made a massive penetration on the African continent. “It just requires all of us to be strong and work together as a continent to sort out the demands of our societies; taking advantage of the available opportunities of development partners,” Aloui says.

    Prof. Dr. Hailemicheal Aberra, the former Academic President for Addis Ababa University for the last 15 years says that, “We should handle ethnicity diversity through inclusion to ensure political stability, if we are to protect the gain attained in the continent’s development.”

    “We should speak about the problems that affect the country openly and ethnic conflicts must be handled well to avoid continuous strife,” he adds.

    Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kavas believes that Africans are very talented, intelligent and hardworking people. “There is no continent which can survive without the support of the African continent’s people. But there should be a way Africans must exploit this potential, get together and flourish,” he adds.

    via allAfrica.com: East Africa: Turkey Turns to Region – Follows China.

  • Turkey-Africa cooperation meeting to take place in Istanbul

    Turkey-Africa cooperation meeting to take place in Istanbul

    Turkey-Africa Partnership Joint Action Plan 2010-2014 is expected to be approved at the end of the meeting

    Turkey Africa

    “Turkey-Africa Cooperation Senior Officials’ Meeting” will take place in Istanbul on December 13.

    Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that representatives from the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) would be in attendance at the meeting.

    The Ministry said that the Turkey-Africa Partnership Joint Action Plan 2010-2014 was expected to be approved at the end of the meeting.

    “Turkey is determined to further improve its relations with the African Union, regional economic communities in the African continent and with African nations both on bilateral and multilateral platforms on the basis of mutual benefits and the understanding of partnership,” it said.

    The first Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit was held in Turkey on August 18 and 21, 2008, and the Istanbul Declaration on Turkey-Africa Partnership was signed by participants.

    AA

    World Bulletin