Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Legislation
  • War On Terror
  • EU Affairs
  • Elections
  • News Analysis

Turkey has unique stance in Africa, aims for development: Envoy

by DAILY SABAH WITH AA

ISTANBUL Sep 17, 2021 - 11:13 am GMT+3
Turkish medical aid to be delivered to Somalia is seen in the capital Ankara, Turkey, May 5, 2020. (AA Photo)
Turkish medical aid to be delivered to Somalia is seen in the capital Ankara, Turkey, May 5, 2020. (AA Photo)
by DAILY SABAH WITH AA Sep 17, 2021 11:13 am

Underlining that Turkey is in Africa with all its institutions, the Turkish ambassador to Khartoum said that humanitarian aid should be diversified and focus on different areas for further contribution to the continent's development

RECOMMENDED
Police patrol the area in front of a mosque at Noerrebro after Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan announced he would burn a copy of the Quran, Copenhagen, Denmark, Jan. 27, 2023. (EPA Photo)

European Muslims decry Quran burning in Sweden, Netherlands

QURAN-BURNING

Turkey has a unique stance in Africa, Turkey's Ambassador to Khartoum Irfan Neziroğlu stated Thursday adding that the country's priority is the development of the continent and it is now in Africa together with all its institutions.

Neziroğlu spoke during an online panel on "Humanitarian and Development Assistance Cooperation in Africa."

Stating that Turkey has had a presence in the continent, especially in North Africa, for centuries, Neziroğlu emphasized that many attempts have been made to revive the relations in the last 25 years.

"There were others in Africa while we were gone, and they've come a long way," the Khartoum ambassador said that he wished that the general African interest in Turkey becomes more specific.

Emphasizing that research centers and academic studies should go from being Africa-centered to focus on the region and the country, he said that he looks at Africa from two dimensions.

"We have come a long way with what we have done in Africa in the last 20 years. The number of our embassies has increased from 12 to 43. The representation of THY (Turkish Airlines) and other institutions shows that we are doing important work in Africa," he said.

Touching on what Turkey can do in Africa, the ambassador noted that the most important factor is to act together and in an organized manner.

Stating that Turkey is on solid ground in Africa, Neziroğlu underlined that Ankara does not have a colonial past in the continent and it approaches every region of the continent in a humane and just manner.

Emphasizing that the African policy should be constantly updated, Neziroğlu continued as follows: "Since 1517, we have been looking at Africa with a humanitarian and development focus. With the contribution of the state, civil society, academia, media, business world and other stakeholders, we can carry out our African policy in a healthier way. It is our heart's desire that everyone living in Turkey has an African agenda."

Referring to the importance of communication and coordination with the humanitarian aid institutions in Khartoum, Neziroğlu stressed that the areas where humanitarian aid activities will be carried out and need analysis should be done in a healthy manner. Neziroğlu added that institutions should inform and guide their donors in order to carry out these analyses with a constructive approach.

Expressing that humanitarian aid should be diversified and focus on different areas, Neziroğlu said: "Food aid is an important but unsustainable type of aid, we need to shift our humanitarian aid policy from food aid to vocational-technical training or other areas. Institutions that want to carry out humanitarian aid activities in Africa should work with local, reliable, capacity-tested partners. The photos and the language used while sharing them in the media are extremely important. We would like to see the Turkish flag in the donations."

Ambassador Neziroğlu, who also shared information in the section on development aids in the panel, mentioned that emergency and food aid is not sustainable and therefore development aid is needed.

Stating that vocational courses are important in this sense, Neziroğlu said: "We must implement aids that can provide people's livelihood in some way."

Giving examples of development aid from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) activities in Sudan for youth and women, Neziroğlu stated that continuous food aid creates a profile that is dependent on expectations and aid for a long time, and emphasized that this can be reversed with development aids.

Stating that Turkey's biggest strategy is to deliver aid with a purely humanitarian perspective, without making any distinction between people, Neziroğlu said that there is a need to establish an institution to coordinate foreign aid.

"We ensure that aid is diversified in different regions by working in coordination with our institutions in Khartoum, but it is beneficial to realize this through a higher structure. Data in the field should be collected in a single center and analyzes should be produced."

Noting the competition between countries in Africa, the Khartoum ambassador said: "Turkey has a unique stance on the continent. As Turkey, we are after good. Our priority is the development of the continent. We are now in Africa together with all our institutions."

Adopting a one-dimensional foreign policy shaped by its relations with the West for decades, Turkey has shifted its direction to a more diversified, multidimensional and independent foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. Turkey's opening up to Africa, which dates back to the action plan adopted in 1998, took shape in 2005 when it was declared the “Year of Africa” by Ankara, and Turkey was accorded observer status by the Africa Union the same year.

In a reciprocal move, the African Union declared Turkey its strategic partner in 2008, and relations between Africa and Turkey gained momentum when the first Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit was held in the commercial capital Istanbul with the participation of representatives from 50 African countries that year.

In 2009, there were only 12 Turkish embassies in African countries, with five of them in North Africa. Now, there are 43. While Turkish Airlines has flights to 60 different destinations in 39 countries, the TIKA has nearly 30 coordination centers in the continent and the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) have joint business councils with more than half of Africa's countries.

RECOMMENDED
Police patrol the area in front of a mosque at Noerrebro after Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan announced he would burn a copy of the Quran, Copenhagen, Denmark, Jan. 27, 2023. (EPA Photo)

European Muslims decry Quran burning in Sweden, Netherlands

QURAN-BURNING
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Sep 17, 2021 12:30 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    turkey-africa relations turkey africa humanitarian aid development
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    For the European Union, Cyprus is an instrument to hold Türkiye politically hostage. (Erhan Yalvaç Illustration)

    How to create a united state in Cyprus?

    CYPRUS-ISSUE
    Türkiye's main battle tank Altay is seen in this file photo, Nov. 15, 2012. (Photo by Mesut Er)

    Türkiye inks $200M deal with S.Korean firm for parts of MBT Altay

    altay-tank

    South Korea's KEPCO submits bid to build nuclear plant in Türkiye

    NUCLEAR-ENERGY

    Religion not included in NATO deal with Türkiye: Swedish FM

    TÜRKIYE-SWEDEN-RELATIONS
    Interior of Haydarpaşa Station
    15 of the world’s most beautiful train stations
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021