By Özgür Ekşi
Turkiye’s visit to Niger might be the key to a new level of bilateral relations. A source close to meetings commented on an “intergovernmental summit rather than a working visit.”
Turkiye’s and Niger’s delegations met in Niamey in Joint Working Meeting. Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine chaired the meeting where Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, accompanied by Minister of National Defence Minister Yasar Güler and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, represented Turkiye. Head of Turkish Intelligence Agency MIT Ibrahim Kalin, Secretary of Defence Industry (SSB) Haluk Görgün and Deputy Trade Minister Özgür Volkan Ağar were present at the meetings.
The meetings witness a critical moment for Niger as it will shape the country’s strategic relations with European and Asian countries. A military coup last year ended Niger-French relations, which put the latter in a rather difficult position as it no longer secures the uranium sources in the regions. France’s military left the country the very same year. Niger’s next target was the U.S. Following long discussions, the U.S. troops evacuated military bases in the country.
Russian and Chinese presence, on the other hand, have increased gradually. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited the country early in June. China is an important oil importer from Niger. The country has recently solved the border dispute between Niger and Benin in favour of Niger. China invited Niger to participate in China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit. Turkiye- Niger relations are mostly seen from a Defence industry perspective. Niger uses Turkish Aerospace’s Hürkuş aircraft and signed an agreement with Nurol Makina to acquire Ejder Yalçın 4x4 armoured vehicles. It also uses Bayraktar TB2 Armed UAVs and ROKETSAN’s MAM-L munitions.
According to information obtained by TurDef, the impact of the talks, which were more like an intergovernmental summit than a working visit, will show itself in the long term. Reminding that the Western press recently made news with the claim that “Türkiye is after uranium” because the uranium mining licenses of French and Canadian companies were nationalised, sources emphasised that this was not the priority.
Noting that Türkiye was open to cooperation with Niger on gold and oil, sources drew attention to the fact that the priority was cooperation in the defence industry and continuing support in the fight against terrorism and commented, “A multidimensional and strategic partnership is targeted in terms of direction.” At a time when Western countries, primarily the U.S. and France, are distanced from Africa, time will show with what motivation the countries moving away from the region will approach the presence of Turkiye, a NATO member, in the region in response to the increasing presence of Russia and China.
On the other hand, Turkiye’s next step in Somalia proves that it aims to provide security and stability in the region. Within the framework of the defence cooperation agreement between Turkiye and Somalia, a presidential motion was sent to the Turkish Parliamant regarding the assignment of elements of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) to Somalia for a period of two years to support activities to ensure Somalia’s security against terrorism and other threats. Turkiye has embassies in 44 out of 54 countries in the continent.
