Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

Erdogan Tours Africa Sounding a Lot Like a Chinese President

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco (R) are seen during an official state visit to Angola at the Presidential Palace in Luanda on October 18, 2021. Osvaldo Silva / AFP

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.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.