(Ecofin Agency) - The continent has become a key battleground for Beijing and Ankara, competing over security deals, arms sales, resource extraction, and infrastructure projects. This analysis examines the growing tensions and the stakes involved in this rivalry.

As global attention focuses on the competition between the United States and China in Africa, Turkey is quietly carving out its own influence on the continent. The country is gaining ground in sectors such as infrastructure development, natural resource extraction, military equipment supply, and security agreements, according to a December 19 report by the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS).

Titled “Sino-Turkish Presence and Rivalries in Africa,” the report highlights how both China and Turkey are benefiting from African nations' desire to move away from the political, economic, and commercial dominance of Western powers. Both countries promote an anti-colonialist narrative, but their interests and rhetoric sometimes clash, leading to competition among African governments and populations.

China and Turkey both draw on historical narratives to shape their soft power strategies in Africa. They emphasize past relationships with the continent that they portray as distinct from Western colonization. For example, Turkey references the Ottoman Empire, while China points to the expeditions of Chinese explorer Zheng He. These narratives, however, overlook historical realities, such as the Ottoman role in the African slave trade and Zheng He’s militarized expeditions.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan often positions Turkey as a “third way” between Western liberalism and China’s state-controlled development model. His messaging resonates particularly with Africa’s Muslim populations and the 26 African nations that are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). This strategy helped Turkey win a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2008, supported by 51 African votes. During this tenure, Turkey openly criticized China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims, describing it as “near-genocide.”

Turkey’s cultural influence in Africa is also evident in the restoration of Ottoman heritage sites and the expansion of Turkish media. Turkish outlets like TRT and Anadolu Agency produce content in African languages such as Swahili, Hausa, and French. Meanwhile, China deploys its state-owned media giants, Xinhua and CGTN, along with the private broadcaster StarTimes, to strengthen its own influence.

The construction sector is a major arena for competition between Turkey and China. Turkish firms have won significant contracts in Africa, often at the expense of Chinese companies. For example, the Turkish group Summa has built prestigious projects such as stadiums, hotels, and shopping centers in Rwanda, Senegal, and Equatorial Guinea. This group has outperformed Chinese competitors in securing prestigious projects, such as the Parliament of Equatorial Guinea, convention centers in Rwanda, and shopping centers in Ethiopia. Summa and other major Turkish firms like Albayrak, Limak TAV, and Yapı Merkezi have also won public contracts to build and manage key infrastructure, including roads, railways, ports, and airports, often at the expense of Chinese state-owned companies. For example, in Uganda, Turkish company Yapı Merkezi secured the contract for the Malaba-Kampala railway segment after China Harbour Engineering Company failed to deliver on its commitments. Yapı Merkezi has also outperformed Chinese firms CRCC and CCECC in Tanzania by winning contracts for multiple sections of the Dar es Salaam-Mwanza railway. A similar scenario also happened in Ethiopia.

Turkish firms are also active in port management. Albayrak, which operates the Port of Mogadishu in Somalia, won a contract in 2018 to expand the Port of Conakry in Guinea, edging out China Harbour Engineering.

In many cases, African partners prefer Turkish companies due to their higher construction quality and use of local labor, as well as their lower risk of creating unsustainable debt compared to Chinese loans.

The report also mentions that Turkish firms are increasingly active in Africa’s natural resource sector. Companies like Lydia Madencilik and Miller Holding extract gold and copper in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Avesoro, part of the MAPA Group, has controlled Burkina Faso’s Youga gold mine since 2017.

In Niger, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar signed an agreement in July to expand Turkish oil and gas exploration, followed by an October protocol to deepen mining cooperation, potentially including uranium extraction. This development could challenge China’s dominance in Niger, where Chinese firms CNPC (oil) and CNNC (uranium) have together invested over $6 billion in oil and uranium projects.

Security and Defense: A Growing Turkish Footprint

In the security sector, the strong demand from African countries, particularly in the Sahel, aligns with the need for stability and the protection of foreign interests in these nations. While China dominates arms exports to sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for 19% of total arms sales, Turkey is catching up. Turkish arms exports to Africa surged from $82 million in 2020 to $460 million in 2021.

Turkish drones, such as the Bayraktar TB2, and armored vehicles, including Otokar’s Cobras and Katmerciler’s Hızır, are in high demand in countries like Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso.

Recent coups in former French colonies have intensified the competition for defense contracts between Chinese and Turkish firms. Chinese company Norinco opened an office in Senegal in 2023, while Turkish private military company SADAT already present in "about ten African countries in the OIC" according to its leader, plans to recruit French-speaking agents to establish a foothold in West Africa starting in 2025. Although they promote a different model, SADAT and its counterpart EKOL can capitalize on the recent setbacks faced by Wagner/Africa Corps against the Tuaregs in Mali. At the same time, Chinese security and defense service companies, such as DeWe and COSG, which have historically been more active in East Africa, are now expanding their operations to align with China's interests across the continent.

Drone Bayraktar

Military Bases and Strategic Alliances

IRIS also notes that Turkey's position in Libya seems to be strengthening, offering access to Niger and other Sahelian countries. This is especially true after the two rival Libyan factions—the Libyan National Army led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar and the Government of National Unity—signed a protocol last October laying the groundwork for national reconciliation, following Turkish mediation.

Regarding military presence in Africa, Turkey is on the right path to surpass China, which has only one naval base on the continent, in Djibouti. In addition to its military base in Mogadishu, established in 2017, Turkey has recently signed agreements with Somalia allowing the Turkish navy to deploy warships in Somali territorial waters. Sudan has also granted Turkey a 99-year lease on Suakin Island in the Red Sea to build a military base.

Overall, Turkey has a unique advantage in its multidimensional approach to Africa, particularly its ability to appeal to Muslim solidarity, which continues to resonate widely across the continent.