Struggle for Influence: Russia and Türkiye’s Sahel Policies (2019–2024)

Year 2025, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 1 - 18, 30.04.2025

Ahmet Turan

Abstract

The landscape of competitive and cooperative interactions between global and regional actors are undergoing continuous diversification. In the 21st century, the African continent has emerged as a primary focus for these actors, with Russia and Türkiye being two countries that have made significant advancements in their African policies in recent years. Russia’s intensified interest in Africa became particularly evident during the late 1990s. Similarly, Türkiye has developed a comprehensive African strategy since the early 2000s. The aim of this research is to comparatively analyze the Sahel policies of Türkiye and Russia between 2019 and 2024, highlighting areas of competition and cooperation between the two actors in the region. The central research question guiding this study is: To what extent are Türkiye’s and Russia’s engagements in the Sahel region driven by rivalry, cooperation, or a broader struggle for influence? To address this question, the study examines the military, economic, and political engagements of both states with Sahelian countries, drawing upon a range of official sources, statistical data, and institutional reports. The findings suggest that while both nations seek to expand their presence, they employ notably different strategies, Türkiye favoring soft power and long-term partnerships, and Russia relying more on hard power and operational relationships. These different approaches yield critical information about the changing nature of great power competition in Africa’s most contested sub-region.

Keywords

Sahel, Russia, Türkiye, Struggle for Influence, Competition, Cooperation

Nüfuz Mücadelesi: Rusya ve Türkiye'nin Sahel Politikaları (2019-2024)

Abstract

Küresel ve bölgesel aktörler arasındaki rekabet ve iş birliğinin kapsamı her geçen gün çeşitlenmektedir. 21. yüzyılda Afrika kıtası, bu aktörler için öncelikli bir odak haline gelmiş olup, Rusya ve Türkiye son yıllarda Afrika politikalarında önemli ilerlemeler kaydeden iki ülke olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Rusya’nın Afrika’ya yönelik artan ilgisi özellikle 1990’ların sonlarında belirginleşmiştir. Benzer şekilde, Türkiye de 2000’li yılların başlarından itibaren kapsamlı bir Afrika stratejisi geliştirmiştir. Bu iki aktörün Afrika politikalarını tek bir çalışmada ayrıntılı ve derinlemesine analiz etmek mümkün olmayabilir. Bu nedenle, araştırmaların Afrika kıtası içinde belirli ülkelere veya bölgelere odaklanması önerilmektedir. Bu bağlamda, Sahel bölgesi bu çalışma için uygun bir odak noktası olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Bu araştırmanın amacı, 2019-2024 yılları arasında Türkiye ve Rusya’nın Sahel politikalarını karşılaştırmalı olarak analiz etmek ve bölgedeki rekabet ve iş birliği alanlarını ortaya koymaktır. Bu doğrultuda, çalışma her iki devletin Sahel ülkeleriyle olan askeri, ekonomik ve siyasi ilişkilerini ayrıntılı bir şekilde inceleyecektir. Bu çerçevede, çalışma; iki devletin resmi makamları tarafından paylaşılan bilgi, belge ve söylemlerin yanı sıra Dünya Bankası (WB) ve Uluslararası Para Fonu (IMF) gibi uluslararası finans kuruluşlarının istatistikleri ve raporları ile Stockholm Uluslararası Barış Araştırmaları Enstitüsü (SIPRI) ve Uluslararası Stratejik Araştırmalar Enstitüsü (IISS) gibi kuruluşların verilerinden yararlanacaktır.

Keywords

Sahel, Rusya, Türkiye, Rekabet, İşbirliği

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