Turkey’s involvement in Sub-Saharan Africa: an empirical analysis of multitrack approach

Since 2005 the Ankara government has increased its diplomatic engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Along with the improvement of political and economic relations, Turkey has carved out an interesting role in humanitarian assistance and development aid. Taking principles and norms from both, Turkey has elaborated its own way of development which lies between the DAC1 and non-DAC countries. A feature that makes Turkey’s approach toward SSA different from the other extra-regional powers is its unconventional multistakeholder implementation policy on the ground that attributes relevance to the non-state actors (NSAs). These, such as NGOs, trade and businesses associations, have pushed forward the country’s economic, cultural and political interests in SSA. Drawing critically on the informal diplomacy literature and on the studies of Turkey-Africa relations, this article aims to show that Turkish rapprochement toward SSA has made Turkey a new relevant player in the region. Further, it aims to contribute to the literature on the interaction between state and NSAs, providing an empirical analysis within North–South interactions.