President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday said Türkiye has brought its relations with Africa to "levels that could not even be imagined" over the past two decades, highlighting the growing depth of cooperation in trade, investment and diplomacy between the two sides.

Türkiye's engagement with the continent gained unprecedented pace after Ankara declared 2005 as the "Year of Africa." Erdoğan said this initiative opened a "new chapter" in their relations.

"Since then, 20 years have passed, and over these two decades, we have advanced our relations hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, and most importantly, heart to heart, to a level that could not even be imagined," he told the Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum in Istanbul.

Erdoğan stressed that ties have now reached the level of a strategic partnership.

Ankara has repeatedly presented itself as a fairer player than the continent’s former colonial powers, touting cooperation based on "equal partnership and a win-win principle."

Erdoğan himself has made more than 50 visits to African nations since he became prime minister in 2023.

"I have always felt at home in Africa," he said on Friday. "Despite the hardships of life, I have admired the resilience and optimism of our African brothers and sisters."

Over the years, Türkiye increased the number of its embassies on the continent to 44.

The goal is to lift this figure to 50 in the short term, Erdoğan said. Currently, 38 African countries have embassies operating in Ankara.

"Our remarkable success in trade and investment has contributed to the prosperity of both Türkiye and African nations," Erdoğan said.

Investments, trade relations

Turkish contractors have undertaken more than 2,000 projects across the continent, with a total value reaching $97 billion (TL 4.07 trillion).

"The market value of our investments across the continent has exceeded $15 billion, creating employment for over 100,000 African brothers and sisters, who are now actively contributing to production," the president said.

"We have established business councils with 49 African countries, and commercial attache offices in 31 countries," he added.

Bilateral trade volume skyrocketed over the two decades from $5.4 billion in 2003 to around $40 billion as of the end of 2024.

Erdoğan also said national flag carrier Turkish Airlines had expanded its network and is now operating flights to 64 destinations in 42 African countries.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of Türkiye's observer status in the African Union, the president noted. He also said they would host the 4th Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit.

"We believe this important summit will be a new milestone in our efforts to support the continent's development and prosperity," said Erdoğan.

Since it was launched in 2016, the Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum has evolved into a concrete platform for collaboration, the president noted.

In a time of growing uncertainty and risk in global trade, Erdoğan noted that valuable insights were shared over the course of the two-day meetings, covering key sectors such as agriculture, food, textiles, energy, mining and health care.

"Our guests from various African countries had the opportunity to present their countries' investment climates and commercial opportunities to both other participants and the Turkish business community," he noted.

"As a result, a strong synergy has emerged regarding the future of our commercial relations," he added.

"We value the establishment of new friendships, new collaborations and new partnerships here, and we hope they will be lasting."