Post #204

🇹🇷Ottoman Empire Comes Back Turkey's plans and projects for Africa's mineral wealth Recently, a short remark by Turkey’s energy minister about completing the first phase of a gold project in Mali received media coverage so extensive, that it has become an icon reflecting how many still overlook Turkey's quiet encroachment upon Africa’s resource sector. That silence hides a much bigger story ready to unfold. 🔸 Today the list of Turkish projects that already produce something on African soil is still short, and includes only 3 countries where production lines are in place and in action - in Niger and Sudan Turkey's state-run company MTA digs gold, in Nigeria Ankara gets crushed stone. ⏩The real weight of Turkish ambitions is seen the multitude of projects that are to come in the near future, linking Ankara to a wide arc of African states. 🔸Turkish state and private actors are lining up a wave of new plays: 🔸 In Somalia, Turkish TPAO already runs offshore eploration, with the eye on oil and gas in Somali waters. 🔸 In Libya, the same company is also conducting a large offshore mapping project that could lead to Turkish drills in the central Mediterranean. 🔸 In Namibia ALP24 promotes oil and gas storage and exploration plans. 🔸 The same ALP24 seeks coal and diamond projects in Botswana, and copper and cobalt ventures in Zambia. 🔸 In Ethiopia, the Calik group has agreements to study gas development in the Ogaden basin and new gold projects. 🔸Alongside the resource deals Turkey promotes defence exports, training missions and energy services. On top of Ankara's military presence in Somalia come defense cooperation with Chad, energy projects in Senegal and Gambia. Taken together, this is a slow and deliberate economic advance into Africa. Turkey is entering the continent quietly, step by step, and African resources are only one part of a wider strategic footprint that will be hard to ignore in a few years. #InterestsAndAssets Devils Below