Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- For 20 years, Ankara has opened 43 embassies on the continent, one of them recently started its work in Togo.

According to experts, Turkey is working to create a new alliance in West Africa. Recently, the visits of Turkish high-ranking officials to most countries in the region (Senegal, Mali, Togo, Niger, Nigeria and others) have intensified.

Turkish soft power institutions already operate in West Africa. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency supports many development projects, Turkish Airlines connects the region with the world, and the Office for Turkish Affairs Abroad and related structures have accepted about 1,000 students from the countries of this region in Turkey for free education.

Turkey attaches great importance to cooperation in the field of security in the region, which is traditionally in the sphere of French influence. It is planned to open a new market to promote the products of the Turkish military industry. This is evidenced by the defense and security deals with the Gambia, Guinea, Nigeria and Benin. In July of this year. such an agreement was reached with Niger.

Ankara is seeking to establish a military base in Niamey, Niger, near the border with Libya. This will give Ankara a reliable foothold in the third African country after Somalia and Libya, where Turkish military bases already exist, and will also strengthen Turkey’s opposition to its opponents in Libya.

Ankara views Libya as an important springboard for strengthening Turkish influence and implementing its expansionist program in West Africa.

Increasing Turkish exports to the region is also a priority for Ankara. Today, market diversification is important for Turkey in light of the series of crises in Ankara’s relations with the West and its growing isolation in the Middle East. In this regard, the Turks are planning to sign a deal on economic and trade cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States, in which Nigeria plays an important role.

Nigeria is Turkey’s sixth largest trading partner. Trade turnover, excluding oil and gas, in 2019 amounted to US$500 million, of which Turkey’s exports to Nigeria amounted to US$340 million. The total volume of bilateral trade in 2019 is estimated at US$2.3 billion. LNG accounts for 90% of Turkish imports from Nigeria. More than 40 Turkish firms work in Nigeria, employing more than 500 Turkish citizens and more than 2.5 thousand Nigerians.

Many Turkish companies are involved in most West African countries in various fields to increase economic benefits and consolidate the position of Ankara, which has become a trading partner for several countries in the region, such as Senegal. In this country, Turkish companies are implementing several large infrastructure projects, such as the Abdu Diouf International Convention Center, Dakar Sports Palace, the Radisson Hotel, and also have a contract for 25 years of operation of the International Airport. Blaise Diana. Senegal also has 29 Turkish projects worth US$815 million.

In 2019, the Turkish Kalyon Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mali for the construction of the Metrobus in the capital Bamako. Turkey has invested about US$250 million in infrastructure projects in Niger. The parties signed contracts worth US$180 million for the construction of a new airport in Niamey

Ankara seeks to strengthen cooperation with Nigeria in the oil sector, as evidenced by the visit of the Turkish Ambassador to the National Oil Corporation of Nigeria (Abuja) last year. This is a confirmation of Ankara’s desire to cooperate to strengthen the trade partnership with Nigeria and the development of infrastructure for the region’s oil projects.

Turkey’s Albayrak Group has signed a 25-year lease of the autonomous port of Conakry, Guinea, and has invested more than US$700 million in addition to the port of Banjul Barra in Gambia to improve investment opportunities for Turkish companies.

In general, the strengthening of Turkey’s influence in West Africa in the future may lead to a deepening of Turkey’s comprehensive cooperation with the region in the field of security and trade. This, on the one hand, strengthens Ankara’s position as an effective regional power and helps the Turkish economy to overcome the crisis by increasing exports to the region.

On the other hand, this may aggravate the rivalry between Turkey and France, which sees a threat to its interests in the Turkish presence in Africa, and negatively affect the relations of the Turks with the EU.