(3 minutes read)
· Although Turkey’s contracting industry is a small fry as
compared to China, it has the expertise and experience in executing
projects in countries like Kazakhstan and other CIS countries.
· Turkey’s trade with Africa jumped six-fold since 2003, from
US$5.5billion to US$23.8billion. Also, Turkish Airlines tripled its
destinations on the continent, from 18 in 2010 to 56 in 2020.
China has created US$470billion worth of roads, rail lines, ports,
airports, oil, gas and power facilities, pipelines, office buildings
and other projects in 2018 alone in Africa. Yet, Africa needs an
estimated US$12 trillion in infrastructure to create business
opportunities and improve people’s lives. China needs a way to keep
its huge construction industry occupied as demand at home ebbs off.
It is obvious that China alone cannot match this investment gap in
Africa. The country that can fit the bill is Turkey.
Although Turkey’s contracting industry is a small fry as compared to
China, it has the expertise and experience in executing projects in
countries like Kazakhstan and other CIS countries. The value of its
overseas work in the past decade has fluctuated between US$15billion
and US$30billion a year. That is roughly 6% of Chinese contractors’
annual work. Turkey is no longer a rookie in executing the projects
outside the country. It ranks second in terms of number of
construction companies working abroad – 40 against China’s 65. Of
these 40 projects, most of them were in the Middle East and the former
Soviet Union. A few others are now scattered in Russia and Saudi
Arabia
Presently, Turkey is planning to expand its footprint in the African
region, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. The reasons are not far to
seek. Like China, Turkey also needs Africa’s mineral wealth. Secondly,
it realizes that with 1.25 billion people and is still ticking, Africa
is an expanding market. The third reason experts are telling is the
unstated intention of Turkey to become a powerful Muslim nation. Of
the 54 countries in the African region, 19 are Muslim dominated ones.
Turkey’s trade with Africa jumped six-fold since 2003, from
US$5.5billion to US$23.8billion. Also, Turkish Airlines tripled its
destinations on the continent, from 18 in 2010 to 56 in 2020.
Significantly, its missions in African countries have grown from 12 to
40 now and the aim is to establish direct diplomatic relations with
every country in the region.
