Turkish delegation in Niamey on July 17, from left to proper: Vitality Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Nationwide Protection Minister Yaşar Güler and International Minister Hakan Fidan with Basic Abdurrahmane Tchiani. Niger transfer of Türkiye goes past vitality and defence business offers; it goals shut relations in West ASfrica just like the one with Somalia in East Africa.
In Türkiye’s busy agenda, the go to of a high-level Turkish delegation to Niger on July 17 needs to be learn as an vital stage within the Türkiye-France rivalry that has not too long ago come to the fore in Africa, past in depth bilateral contacts and agreements. The oil and fuel agreements signed with the West African nation of Niger don’t give us an entire image.
The composition of the Turkish delegation that participated within the one-day journey to Niger might give an concept. The delegation was headed by International Minister Hakan Fidan and included Yaşar Güler, Minister of Nationwide Protection; Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of Vitality; İbrahim Kalın, Director of Nationwide Intelligence; Volkan Ağar, Deputy Minister of Commerce; and Haluk Görgün, President of Protection Industries.
Aside from President Tayyip Erdoğan, your entire workers that would participate in a high-level official go to. One motive for that is that Niger’s authorities was modified by a coup d’état a yr in the past on July 26, 2023; the pinnacle of state is the chief of this coup, Basic Abdurrahmane Tchiani. Erdoğan might not have needed to go to the coup chief, however that is the place the problem begins.
Somalia within the East, Niger within the West
What International Minister Fidan stated about his contacts with Niger goes past the “Türkiye is looking for a uranium cope with Niger” claims, which was instantly denied by the Communications Division of the Turkish Presidency; Russia was going to convey enriched uranium to the Akkuyu nuclear energy plant in Türkiye.
Fidan stated that they mentioned with the Niger administration “various points together with counter-terrorism, training, vitality, well being, commerce, safety and protection”, within the order he listed, and his following phrases draw consideration:
- “As we did in Somalia, we mentioned what could be completed to enhance the protection business and intelligence capability in Niger inside the framework of the battle in opposition to terrorism. We additionally mentioned what steps we’ll take in opposition to terrorism, which is the primary supply of instability within the Sahel area.”
Türkiye has lengthy established very shut relations with Somalia in japanese Africa. Türkiye has certainly one of itslargest embassies on this planet in Mogadishu. Turkish Navy protects the Somali coast for the subsequent 10 years and a Somali Navy will probably be shaped collectively. Türkiye additionally has oil and fuel exploration and extraction rights.
Ankara is now pursuing the same coverage of intensive cooperation with Niger in West Africa.
Türkiye and up to date coups in Africa
The Sahel area is boiling. Having formally misplaced its colonies in Africa, beginning with Algeria, France is now struggling to not lose its sphere of affect.
As quickly as Tchiani took over, he annulled the agreements between the US and France and Niger; there isn’t a longer a French embassy within the capital Niamey. The French and US troops that had been within the nation to counter the risk from Boko Haram, al-Qaeda’s coastal department, and JNIM, the sub-Saharan department of ISIS, have additionally withdrawn – however to no avail, in line with Niger officers.
The same scenario exists in Niger’s two neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso. In Mali, Assimi Goita leads the junta, the Nationwide Committee for the Liberation of the Individuals, which got here to energy in a coup d’état on August 28, 2020. Burkina Faso is led by Ibrahim Traore, who got here to energy in a coup d’état on September 30, 2022, overthrowing the earlier coup regime.
Ideas or pragmatism
The rationale I point out Niger and its two neighbors is that on July 6, simply over two weeks in the past, the three neighbors declared the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), breaking away from the Financial Group of West African States (ECOWAS), which suspended the membership of those three nations till their transition to democracy. The AES differs from ECOWAS in that it envisages each financial and navy cooperation.
Fidan’s reference to “instability within the Sahel area” is a reference to this new group. The three poverty-stricken, land-lock neighbors don’t have any entry to the ocean and due to this fact want exterior assist to outlive.
As Türkiye seeks to strengthen Niger and the AES, it’s also taking a stand in opposition to French affect in West Africa. It is a departure from President Erdoğan’s 2013 resolution to chop – and now re-establish – ties with Egypt in response to Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who seized energy in Egypt in a coup d’état. This reveals a pragmatist stance centered on Türkiye’s pursuits somewhat than an ideological stance, no less than on this transfer.
Türkiye, NATO and French affect
There’s yet one more element. All three African nations are contemplating the assist of Russian Wagner mercenaries of their battle in opposition to Al-Qaeda and ISIS. In different phrases, there’s an choice the place French and American troops depart however NATO-member Türkiye might fill in as an alternative of Russian mercenaries.
A very powerful issue that also binds ECOWAS nations to France is using the African Franc (CFA) as a standard forex, which Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denounces as France’s “neo- colonialist theft” in Africa.
In different phrases, there isn’t a consensus not solely inside NATO but in addition inside the European Union on France’s affect over its former colonies in Africa.
Taking a look at Türkiye’s opening to Niger with these evaluations clarifies the image. Türkiye needs to determine itself in West Africa after East Africa as an choice that promotes itself on the idea of frequent pursuits with these nations and it’s making progress.
