Erdogan Tours Africa Sounding a Lot Like a Chinese President

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday, the second leg of his three-nation, four-day tour of Africa. While the primary focus of his visit to Nigeria will be to foster closer commercial ties with Ankara’s largest trading partner on the continent, the President is also expected to discuss weapons sales and how to combat Islamic extremism with his host, President Muhammdu Buhari.

The timing of President Erdogan’s visit is critical, coming amid mounting concerns that China’s slowing economy will force African countries to diversify their trade ties and bolster relations with new partners outside of the increasingly fractious Sino-U.S. framework.