Libya was picked as the location of the 2026 African-Turkish Summit, the African Union (AU) announced Monday.
The decision was adopted during the 38th African Union Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from Feb. 15 to 16, according to a statement from Libya's Presidential Council released Monday.
"This decision is the result of the diplomatic efforts made by the Libyan delegation during the summit, led by Libyan Presidential Council head Mohamed al-Menfi,” it added. The statement also underscored the importance of Libya hosting the event as part of efforts to restore its active role and leadership position in Africa after its significant role in expanding economic, political and sustainable development cooperation.
The statement also said that the hosting represents renewed international recognition of Libya's potential and its pivotal role in enhancing dialogue and strategic cooperation between Africa and key countries, advancing shared interests and fostering more effective partnerships for the continent’s goals.
The African Union, a 55-nation organization established in 2002 to replace the Organization of African Unity (OAU), aims to promote integration among its members and establish a common market.
In recent years, African-Turkish partnership summits were held in Istanbul in 2008, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in 2014 and Istanbul again in 2021. The first two ministerial meetings took place in Istanbul in 2011 and 2018, addressing the progress in relations between Türkiye and the African Union and the action plans agreed upon at summit meetings.
Türkiye became an observer member of the AU in 2005 and was declared a strategic partner of the Continent at the Summit held in 2008. The relations attained a sustainable mechanism at the First Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul. Türkiye and Africa have agreed to implement projects simultaneously in various fields along with the five-year schedule program, which was adopted with "The 2015-2019 Joint Implementation Plan" at the Second Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit in 2014. Projects were developed according to the priorities of the African countries in the fields of trade and investment, peace and security, education and culture, youth empowerment and technology transfer, rural economy and agriculture, energy and transportation have been implemented.
The country increased its partnerships with the AU and African countries separately as part of its "Africa opening" or "initiative" under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Defense projects, extensive trade networks and diplomatic efforts further made Türkiye a favorite partner for African countries.
Türkiye often highlights that its approach differs from that of Western countries, pointing out the colonial past of European countries seeking partnerships with African countries. Ankara bases its Africa policies on the "win-win" principle, and this is reflected in an unprecedented, more than eight-fold increase in trade volume with the continent.
In return, Türkiye saw its influence growing in the continent. This was most evident as it brokered a deal between Ethiopia and Somalia last year.
Türkiye is also the fourth largest arms supplier to sub-Saharan Africa, according to a study published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Turkish construction companies, which are heavily involved in infrastructure projects like developing a $6.5 billion railway network in Tanzania, are also helping strengthen their nation's reputation. Beyond political brokering in Eastern Africa, Ankara accumulated soft power through education, media and its shared religion with many African Muslim countries.
