Türkiye, Senegal talk defense co-op as Erdoğan hails Africa ties

Türkiye and Senegal on Thursday discussed defense and security cooperation, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, hailing Türkiye's growing relations with Africa, according to the Daily Sabah.

"Today we discussed joint steps that we can take in the areas of security, the defense industry and the fight against terrorism," Erdoğan told a televised press conference with Senegal's visiting Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko in the capital Ankara.

"We are pleased with the growing interest of our African brothers in Turkish defense products. We look forward to further strengthening our solidarity in this area in the coming period," he said.

Türkiye has in recent years consolidated its foothold in Africa and boosted economic and defense cooperation, at a time when many countries on the continent are turning away from their former colonial rulers.

Ankara has signed defense agreements with a number of states spanning the breadth of the continent, including Somalia, Libya, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana.

Those agreements have opened up contracts for Türkiye's defense manufacturers, notably for its reputedly reliable and inexpensive drones.

On Thursday, Erdoğan hailed Africa as the "star of our century" with its wealth of young workers, dynamism and natural beauty.

"No country with a global vision can ignore the African continent or turn its back on this magnificent geography," he said.

He said anyone who criticized the Turkish-African partnership was "trying to confine our country to shallow waters."

"We reject any arrogant, condescending, orientalist approach to the African continent", he added.

Following one-on-one talks and inter-delegation meetings, Erdoğan and Sonko oversaw the signing of four agreements to enhance cooperation in the fields of defense, media, and education.