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Mustafa Efe, President of the Center for Strategic Studies for Africa (AFSAM), wrote about the visit of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to Türkiye for “AA Analiz”
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The visit of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to our country is of historical importance. The elevation of Türkiye’s relations with Senegal, the country with which Türkiye has the greatest number of relations in West Africa, to the level of “strategic partnership” is the greatest indicator of Türkiye’s readiness to be more present in West Africa. This strategic partnership will bring cooperation opportunities between the two countries to a new level in the areas of security, defense industry, counter-terrorism, energy, agriculture, urban planning, culture and higher education, as well as investment and trade. The transition and development of relations to the level of strategic partnership will have a significant impact on the future of both countries.
– How did Türkiye-Senegal relations develop?
Our embassy in Dakar, which became operational in 1962 after Senegal gained independence from France in 1960, was one of the first embassies opened in Africa. With the opening of the Senegalese embassy in Ankara in August 2006, mutual representation between the two countries was ensured and relations gained momentum. In recent years in particular, relations between our two countries have experienced significant renewal in all areas. Many bilateral visits have been organized so far. The fact that the President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Senegal three times testifies to the importance given to this country. During his visit to Dakar in January 2020, President Erdoğan recalled the “historical and cultural ties” between the two countries and declared: “we want to build a future together, drawing inspiration from our common past. »
In addition, there are large-scale infrastructure projects carried out by Turkish companies in Senegal recently. Economic and commercial relations between Türkiye and Senegal are on the rise. In this regard, the volume of trade between Türkiye and Senegal approached one billion dollars.
– The visit of Senegalese President Faye is a turning point
The contribution of Turkish companies to Senegal’s infrastructure and development, particularly in the construction sector, is highly appreciated in the country. Therefore, the Senegalese are very supportive of Türkiye. In addition, relations between the two countries in the fields of defense industry and security are expected to accelerate.
During his visit, President Erdogan congratulated Senegalese President Faye on his victory in the March elections. He expressed his pleasure to welcome President Faye and his delegation to Türkiye.
President Erdogan said that our trade and investment relations with Senegal are constantly increasing, with our trade volume expected to reach $1 billion. Erdogan said that they believe that the organization of the Turkiye-Senegal Business Forum in Istanbul and the joint economic cooperation meetings to be held in the coming period will reveal the true potential of our economic relations. Stating that the Türkiye will support the Senegalese government’s “Senegal 2050 National Transformation Program” through sharing experiences, Erdogan also thanked Senegal for supporting the Türkiye’s fight against the FETÖ terrorist organization.
Senegalese President Faye said that during talks with President Erdogan, they agreed with Türkiye in particular on the employment of young people in the fields of industrialization, agriculture, technical education and professional and digitalization, which are determined within the framework of the 2050 plan. “The West African region, as you know, is a region dominated by insecurity due to terrorism, which is why President Erdogan and I discussed these issues and expressed the need to strengthen our cooperation in the field of defense. » Faye also stressed that the agreements signed between Türkiye and Senegal represent the desire of the two states to elevate their cooperation to a strategic level.
The Senegalese president said they discussed the need to contribute to global peace and stability by strengthening multilateral relations and added: “We stressed that this objective will be achieved by improving the global governance system and by eliminating injustices.”
Following the face-to-face meetings and delegation meetings between the two countries, chaired by President Erdogan and Senegalese President Faye, five agreements were signed in the areas of agricultural mechanization, higher education , urbanization, energy and hydrocarbons, including the creation of a high-level Strategic Cooperation Council.
-The change in Senegal can be an advantage for Türkiye
Türkiye and Senegal must know and understand each other closely. Both countries need to understand each other’s internal dynamics.
For Türkiye, it is important to understand the difference between the administration of President Faye and that of Ousmane Sonko in Senegal. Regarding the dynamics of Senegalese society, it is important to strategize accordingly, given that a new generation of African politicians will come to power in the future. This situation is also valid for other African countries. Senegal has a young and dynamic social structure. The new generation began to realize the destruction caused by colonialism and France in particular. In this regard, it is expected that the PASTEF party will achieve very significant success in the elections of November 17 and that it will obtain more than 60% of the votes.
– The future of relations between Türkiye and Senegal
President Faye ran in the 2024 Senegalese presidential election, replacing disqualified candidate Ousmane Sonko after his release from prison on March 14, 2024, and won the election thanks to his anti-Franc and anti-corruption campaign. With more than 54% of the vote, he became the first opposition candidate to win in the first round since Senegal’s independence in 1960.[1]. [Son premier acte officiel a été de nommer Ousmane Sonko Premier ministre, qui a officiellement présenté son gouvernement le 5 avril. L’élection à la présidence de Fay,e le candidat du PASTEF dirigé par Ousmane Sonko, est un événement historique. En somme, le bon sens, la patience, la résistance et la persévérance du peuple sénégalais ont prévalu dans cette élection.
Ce changement au Sénégal indique qu’une nouvelle génération de dirigeants est en train d’accéder au pouvoir dans les pays africains. Le succès du mouvement d’Osman Sonko, malgré tous les obstacles, a suscité l’enthousiasme dans d’autres pays africains. Tout comme la Türkiye est une source d’inspiration pour les pays africains en général, le Sénégal est aussi un exemple pour les autres pays africains.
Ce résultat électoral a le potentiel d’initier une transformation historique non seulement dans la région, mais aussi sur l’ensemble du continent africain. Des situations similaires à ces élections se produiront au moins d’abord dans les pays africains francophones, puis dans les pays africains anglophones. La fin de l’hégémonie de l’Occident impérialiste, et de la France en particulier, en Afrique est désormais en vue. En d’autres termes, nous verrons désormais le Sénégal dans la lutte contre la domination française en Afrique de l’Ouest, aux côtés du Mali, du Burkina Faso, du Niger et de la Guinée.
Le soutien de la Türkiye au nouveau Sénégal sous la direction du président sénégalais Faye et du premier ministre Ousmane Sonko est d’une importance vitale. Le succès de la Türkiye en Afrique dépend du succès de ces dirigeants dans leur propre pays, qui soutiennent l’approche turque de l’Afrique, construite dans la perspective d’un nouveau monde juste et gagnant-gagnant.
[1] https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/Senegal-the-opposition-candidate-Diomaye-wins-the-presidential-elections-with-5428-percent/
[Mustafa Efe est le président du Centre d’études stratégiques pour l’Afrique (AFSAM)].
*The opinions expressed in articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of Anadolu Agency.
**Translated from Turkish by Tuncay Çakmak
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