Turkey’s Foreign Policy Toward Africa: Three Levels of Analysis

Abstract

Turkey has been actively engaged in African politics since the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government announced the year 2005 as the Year of Africa. The strategic importance of Africa for Turkey has significantly increased during the AK Party governments. The number of Turkey–Africa studies done both in Turkey and in the West has increased since 2010, but most of these studies dealt with Turkish foreign policy toward Africa from a narrow perspective. This study highlights that there are complicated, hidden, and interrelated factors and dynamics driving Turkey–Africa relations. In particular, the systematic factors are the most overlooked dynamics in the studies carried out. This study endeavors to explore these complicated dynamics in a systematic and holistic approach by using the three levels of analysis. The main research question in the study is, “What are the individual, state, and systemic factors shaping Turkish foreign policy toward Africa?” In this research, primary and secondary sources and the “process-tracing research method” were used.