Since the announcement of 2005 as ‘the year of Africa’, Turkey-Africa relations have gained an important momentum for deepening the relations further. Turkey has increased its number of embassies on the African continent to 34 as of 2012 while there were only 12 embassies in the year of 2002. African countries have also been very responsive to Turkey’s interest to develop relations. After the opening of new embassies in Ankara by Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo in 2011; Angola, Kenya, Djibouti, Niger, South Sudan and Ghana followed the suit by opening their diplomatic representations in 2012. Currently there are 21 African embassies operating in Ankara, and Benin and Congolese embassies are in the process of opening. Furthermore, 12 more African countries have indicated their willingness to open embassies in Ankara in the next years. Once this is completed, there will be 35 African embassies in Turkey.

Ankara’s deep involvement in Africa has also caught the attention of international actors who expressed their interest to cooperate with Turkey. The international dimension of Turkey’s Africa opening is steadily developing, as Turkey makes inroads to the continent. As part of Turkey’s rise as politicalactor on the continent, last year alone, Turkish leaders have had political consultations with the US, Spain, UK, Sweden, Norway, Italy and the European Union. Some countries like France have even suggested that it would be much better if the European Union could team up with Turkey for joint trade missions in Africa to counter the growing power of China in winning contracts there. Above all, what is novel in Ankara’s opening to Africa is the Turkish activities in Somalia. State institutions like TIKA, AFAD, Kızılay etc. and many civil society organizations are working hand-in-hand to establish a ‘new’ Somalia state that can stand alone.

In order to evaluate the future of Africa and Turkish involvement, Professor Ali Mazrui is visiting Turkey as part of Prime Ministry, Office of Public Diplomacy Wise People Conference Series. SETA, in coopartion with Office of Public Diplomacy organizes a lecture by prominent African intellectual Professor Ali Mazrui on ‘Transformation of Africa in the 21st Century and the Role of Turkey’. Mazrui is probably the most celebrated intellectual of African origins in the United States and one of the World’s top 100 public intellectuals.