The Rise of Turkey’s Soft Power in Africa: Reasons, Dynamics, and Constraints

Abstract

Since 2005, with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) governments, the African continent has gained a great importance in Turkish Foreign Policy. Turkey's soft power policy is one of the most important tools in the development of multilateral relations with Africa. Turkey has been making significant cooperation with African countries in the fields of military and defense in recent years. For example, Turkey's largest overseas military base was opened in Somalia in 2017. However, Turkey's soft power prepares a very important strategic ground for deepening relations with the continent in the political, economic, social, and security fields. The ruling AK Party governments have moved Turkey's relations with Africa from an ideological dimension to a strategic one, revealing that the African continent has a strategic meaning for Turkey. The research argues that Turkey’s soft power strategy toward Africa has been influenced by several factors and dynamics including historical, geographical, political, and economic. This study aims to contribute to the literature by analyzing Turkey’s soft power policy in Africa in a conceptual framework and holistic approach.

Keywords

• Turkey
• Africa
• Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
• Soft Power
• Turkish foreign policy

Türkiye’nin Afrika’da Yumuşak Gücünün Yükselişi: Sebepler, Dinamikler ve Engeller

Öz

2005 yılından itibaren Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AK Parti) hükümetleri ile birlikte Afrika kıtası Türk Dış Politikasında önem kazanmaya başlamıştır. Türkiye'nin yumuşak güç politikası, Afrika ile çok taraflı ilişkilerin geliştirilmesinde en önemli araçlardan biridir. Türkiye son yıllarda Afrika ülkeleriyle askeri ve savunma alanlarında önemli işbirlikleri yapmaktadır. Örneğin Türkiye'nin yurtdışındaki en büyük askeri üssü 2017 yılında Somali'de açıldı. Ancak Türkiye'nin yumuşak gücü, kıta ile siyasi, ekonomik, sosyal ve güvenlik alanlarında ilişkileri derinleştirmek için çok önemli bir stratejik zemin hazırlamaktadır. AK Parti hükümetleri Türkiye’nin Afrika ile ilişkilerini ideolojik bir boyuttan stratejik bir boyuta taşıyarak Afrika kıtasının Türkiye için stratejik bir anlamı olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Araştırma, Türkiye'nin Afrika'ya yönelik yumuşak güç stratejisinin tarihi, coğrafi, siyasi ve ekonomik dahil olmak üzere bir dizi faktör ve dinamikten etkilendiğini savunuyor. Bu çalışma, Türkiye'nin Afrika'daki yumuşak güç politikasını kavramsal bir çerçevede ve bütüncül bir yaklaşımla analiz ederek literatüre katkı sağlamayı amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Türkiye
• Afrika
• Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (Ak Parti)
• Yumuşak Güç
• Türk Dış Politikası

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