According to the report titled “Redefining power systems: Turkish electric-sector engagement in Africa” published by the US-based think tank Atlantic Council, Türkiye’s presence in Africa has gone beyond embassies, THY flights and diplomatic contacts in the last twenty years and has become a multi-layered economic and strategic network. The report stated that Türkiye has become an “effective power producing results” in the fields of energy, commodity, mining and infrastructure.
100 BILLION DOLLAR VOLUME
According to the Atlantic Council’s analysis, Turkish contracting companies have completed more than 2 thousand projects across Africa since 2003, and the total value of these projects has reached approximately 100 billion dollars by 2024. It was stated that Türkiye’s direct investments in Africa are approximately 10 billion dollars. According to data, Türkiye-Africa trade volume was 5.4 billion dollars in 2003, and increased to approximately 40 billion dollars by 2025. While this increase exceeded 700 percent, exports were recorded as 8.4 billion dollars in the first five months of 2025. It was reported that exports reached 19.4 billion dollars in 2024. In the Atlantic Council report, Egypt ($3.5 billion), Morocco ($3.1 billion) and Libya ($2.5 billion) were listed among Türkiye’s main export markets.
400 BILLION DOLLAR AREA
According to the report, while approximately 600 million people in Africa do not have access to electricity, it is stated that the continent needs an additional resource of 400 billion dollars for energy production and infrastructure investments by 2030. In the Atlantic Council analysis, it was stated that although Africa has 60 percent of the world’s solar energy potential, it uses only 1 percent of the global capacity. While the report emphasizes that Turkish EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) companies have competitive capacity in power plants, transmission lines and infrastructure projects, It was also emphasized that these companies were considered as alternatives to Chinese companies. It was stated that companies based in North America and Europe were more limited in establishing a permanent presence in the field.
20 BIG DEALS IN 2025
According to the report, Türkiye signed 20 partnership agreements with Africa in the field of energy and mining as of October 2025. It was stated that these agreements were concentrated in countries such as Ethiopia, Guinea, Niger and Sudan and especially included early stage exploration activities. According to the analysis, these steps reveal that Türkiye is following a critical strategy not only in terms of trade but also energy security and industrial policy. It was stated that critical minerals were prioritized in Türkiye’s 2024-2028 Development Plan.
DEFENSE INDUSTRY IMPACT IN AFRICA
According to analyzes published by TRENDS Research & Advisory Türkiye is Africa’s largest unmanned aerial vehicle supplier. It was stated that Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı systems produced by Baykar are actively used in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Libya, Somalia, Chad and Senegal. According to Ahram Online’s analysis, Türkiye’s defense model includes not only product sales but also training, logistics and intelligence support. This situation creates a structure that transforms Türkiye from “weapons supplier to security actor”. According to the evaluations of maritime media such as Naval News, Türkiye’s influence has also increased with the decline of the military presence of the USA and France, especially in the Sahel region. It is stated that the Sahel Alliance, formed by Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, has deepened defense cooperation with Türkiye. According to the report, Türkiye’s presence in Africa is no longer just about the number of diplomatic representations or flight network; It is measured over power plants, mining sites, transmission lines and defense systems.
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