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Turkey in Africa pitches non-Chinese, non-Western model
New Senegalese stadium meant not as a gift but a showcase of Turkish prowess
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan passes the ball to Senegalese President Macky Sall at the new Olympic Stadium in Dakar, Senegal. (Photo courtesy of the Turkish Presidency)
26, 2022 16:17 JST
ISTANBUL -- Standing next to George Weah, the international soccer star turned Liberian president, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was all smiles on the green pitch of the brand new Olympic Stadium in Dakar, Senegal.
Nearly filled to its 50,000-seat capacity, the stadium erupted in cheers as Senegalese President Macky Sall began to lift a ball with his feet. Erdogan, himself an ex-semiprofessional soccer player, soon joined in flashing his footwork alongside other heads of states from Rwanda, Guinea-Bissau and Gambia.
The show of comity played out during the opening ceremony of the FIFA-standard stadium, built by Turkish contractor Summa. The company has built conference halls, hotels, universities, airports and train stations across the continent, and this was its 22nd completed project in sub-Saharan Africa.
Although the stadium was not a gift like the ones China has provided to African countries, it presented a golden opportunity for Erdogan to promote Turkish contractors in front of multiple African leaders and a pumped-up local audience -- fresh off Senegal emerging victorious in the Africa Cup of Nations competition earlier this month.
The day before, Sall praised the contractor at a press conference with Erdogan, saying Summa had completed the project in 17 months instead of the 24 months originally planned.
The Chinese-built National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia. Beijing has built and gifted soccer stadiums across Africa. (Photo by Ken Moriyasu)
"This is another great example of how good of a job Turkish companies are undertaking," he said. The same day, five agreements were signed between the two countries, including a security-cooperation agreement.
Sall's praise extended to Turkey's floating power plant maker Karpowership, which provides 15% of Senegal's electricity; Calik Holding, which is building a 300 MW combined-gas fired power plant; and Summa, as well as peer contractor Limak, for completing Dakar Blaise Diagne International Airport.
That airport was originally contracted to the Saudi Binladin Group, but the conglomerate could only build 70% of the project, taking nine years. Once the Turkish consortium took over, the rest was completed in eight months.
Erdogan on Tuesday made sure to highlight the contributions of its African counterpart. "While developing relations, we carefully plan so that we use Senegalese human resources. With the stadium construction, 1,000 of the 1,500 workers were our Senegalese brothers," he said. Summa said it also used 155 local suppliers.
The description stood in stark contrast to Chinese projects, which are often criticized for depending heavily on Chinese workers and Chinese materials.
While in Senegal Erdogan also opened a new chancellery at Turkey's embassy in Dakar, a building that features Ottoman Empire-style motifs of tulips and architectural inspirations taken from its medieval predecessor, the Seljuk Empire.
Erdogan speaking at the opening ceremony of the Turkish embassy's chancellery in Dakar on Feb. 22. (Photo courtesy of the Turkish Presidency)
Since coming to power almost 20 years ago, Erdogan has proved a consistent proponent of Turkish contractors expanding abroad. At a recent Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul, Nikkei Asia observed Erdogan gathering Turkish contractors and African leaders together at every occasion for quick chats in between his bilateral meetings, seizing the opportunity even in doorways or hallways.
With 16 heads of states and more than 100 ministers from Africa attending, the summit and the Turkish leader's efforts yielded a deal-making bonanza.
Federico Donelli, a researcher at the University of Genoa in Italy and specialist in Turkey's Africa policy, told Nikkei that Turkey was presenting itself as a "third way" -- an alternative to the economic and institutional development models for Africa offered by Beijing or the West.
Donelli, who last year released the book "Turkey in Africa," said both Western and Chinese investments came with different sets of conditions.
"The Western model for Africa is the 'Washington Consensus' neo-liberal order. It puts liberal, capitalist, economic and political conditions to receive investment," Donelli said.
In contrast, Turkey was "trying to stay in the middle" by not attaching conditions when developing relations with African countries.
He said there was now "multipolarity" in Africa's development models, with middle powers such as India and South Korea helping African states diversify their relations with the big powers of the West and Beijing.
Elem Eyrice Tepeciklioglu of Turkey's private Yasar University and co-editor of the book "Turkey in Africa -- A New Emerging Power?" said emerging powers tend to focus on their areas of strength when developing relations with Africa. India's focus on eastern Africa with health care and information technology is one example.
Both Donelli and Tepeciklioglu noted that in addition to North Africa, where Turkey historically and culturally has strong ties, and East Africa, where it has good relations with Ethiopia and Somalia, Erdogan has focused mainly on West Africa in his last two regional tours. This illustrates Turkey's ambition to also expand relations to France's sphere of influence.
Erdogan likes to remind his audience at every occasion that Turkey, unlike other former colonial powers, seeks the moral high ground to advance its own interests. Erdogan has visited Africa more than any other non-African leader.
But French President Emmanuel Macron has hit back at Erdogan's references to France's colonial history, arguing that Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, was also a colonist, especially in North Africa.
"France has a long history of cultural ties and language in the Sahel and West Africa but also has a negative image as a colonial power, and the recent French policy of reviewing its security commitments in the region is creating a vacuum for Turkey and Russia to fill," Donelli said, pointing to growing Russian mercenary activities in the region.
The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine could help Turkey in Africa. "While France decreases its security presence, the West should embrace Turkey's defense cooperation in the region as a NATO member, to counter increasing Russian influence and also Chinese security influence," Donelli said.
Before Senegal, Erdogan visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, where President Felix Tshisekedi said that security deals for training local capacity and boosting capabilities for the country's forces against armed groups and terrorists was foremost in his agenda.
A NATO member, Turkey has more than four decades of counterterrorism experience domestically as well as along its borders with its neighbors.
More than before, African states are seeking Turkish contributions in terms of military training of their special forces and military equipment, including drones, Tepeciklioglu said.
In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Erdogan cut his three-country, four-day tour short, and he returned to Turkey after Senegal on Wednesday, postponing his visit to Guinea-Bissau, which would have been the first by a Turkish president. Turkey is planning to open an embassy in the West African country soon, in addition to 43 embassies on the continent. Erdogan has announced the total target to be 50 embassies.
"As the third millennium will be Africa's time, we have to prepare for it, even from now," Erdogan said.
But Donelli notes that Turkey's pivot to Africa may be derailed by Turkey's own economic situation. If Erdogan fails to secure reelection in the next election slated for June 2023, "A potential new administration may choose to review foreign policy priorities and focus on domestic problems, and give more priority to mend fences with Turkey's immediate neighbors and the West," Donelli said.
"If that scenario unfolds, that may cause a stagnation in Africa relations."
Turkey in Africa pitches non-Chinese, non-Western model
New Senegalese stadium meant not as a gift but a showcase of Turkish prowess
asia.nikkei.com
