Turkey and the Shifting Geopolitical Sands of North and East Africa

The research paper examines Turkey's efforts to re-assert regional influence through military and economic engagement in North and East Africa. It highlights Turkey's support for the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya, its strategic energy interests in the Mediterranean, and its long-term development and diplomatic presence in the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia. The text notes the complex interplay between Turkey, Russia, and the EU in managing the Libyan crisis, as well as Turkey's rivalry with a bloc including Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

• Turkey has actively sought to regain regional influence in the Maghreb and the Mediterranean to counter isolation following its incursion in Syria and tensions with Greece, Cyprus, and Israel over gas exploration. In November 2019, Turkey signed two memoranda of understanding with Libya concerning military cooperation and the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• Turkey and Russia play central, though sometimes opposing, roles in the Libyan conflict; Turkey supports the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) under President Fayez al-Sarraj, while Russia supports General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA). Despite this, the two nations maintain strong economic and political ties, particularly in the energy sector, with Turkey aspiring to be an "international energy hub."
• Turkey's "Open to Africa" policy is exemplified by its comprehensive involvement in Somalia, which began with humanitarian aid in 2011 and evolved into development projects, the operation of airports and sea ports by Turkish firms, and the establishment of Turkish Airlines flights to Mogadishu. Turkey has expanded its diplomatic reach to 42 embassies and 54 Turkish Airlines destinations across Africa.
• A geopolitical rivalry exists in the Horn of Africa since the 2017 Gulf crisis, pitting Qatar and Turkey against a bloc consisting of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2020). Turkey and the Shifting Geopolitical Sands of North and East Africa. https://saiia.org.za/research/turkey-and-the-shifting-geopolitical-sands-of-north-and-east-africa/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Turkey and the Shifting Geopolitical Sands of North and East Africa. 2020. https://saiia.org.za/research/turkey-and-the-shifting-geopolitical-sands-of-north-and-east-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Turkey and the Shifting Geopolitical Sands of North and East Africa |date=3 February 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/turkey-and-the-shifting-geopolitical-sands-of-north-and-east-africa/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2020turkey, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Turkey and the Shifting Geopolitical Sands of North and East Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/turkey-and-the-shifting-geopolitical-sands-of-north-and-east-africa/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }