Türkiye: Afrika İçin İyi Niyetli Altyapı Tedarikçisi

Afrika, 2003 yılında Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi’nin yönetime gelmesinden sonra Türkiye’nin etkileşimini arttırdığı bölgelerden biridir. Türkiye’nin Afrika politikası siyasal, ekonomik, dini ve kültürel birçok boyutu olmasına karşın, bu çalışma Türkiye’nin Afrika’daki altyapı yatırımlarına yoğunlaşmaktadır. Bu çalışma, Türkiye’nin Afrika’daki altyapı yatırımlarına katılımı Başkan Erdoğan’ın Türk dış politikasındaki “Dünya Beş’ten Büyüktür” söylemiyle alakalıdır. Türkiye kıtada materyal kazanımla ilgilenmemekte, Afrika devletlerini güçlendirmekle, günümüzdeki dünya düzenini reform çabalarında ve daha adil bir dünya inşa etmekte mobilize etmeye çabalamaktadır. Türkiye kendisini iyi niyetli bir girişimci olarak markalamaktadır. Bu çalışma, Türkiye’nin Afrika’daki altyapı yatırımlarını ve Afrika’daki projelerdeki Başkan Erdoğan ve diğer yetkililerin birlikte kazanma ve eşit ortaklık vurgularına değinmektedir. Türkiye’nin Afrika’daki ana rakipleri olan Çin ve Fransa’yı da içermektedir. Çin, borç karşılığında altyapılarda hisse alma şeklinde olan borç tuzağı diplomasisini uygularken, Fransa kıtadaki hegemon statüsünü altyapı yatırımları aracılığıyla koruma peşindedir. Türkiye kendisini bu aktörlerden dürüst söylemleri ve sorumlu yatırımları ile farklılaştırmakta, Afrikali nüfus arasındaki imajını yükseltmektedir.

Türkiye: Infrastructure Provider for Africa with Benevolence

Africa emerged as a region to which Türkiye has engaged enthusiastically since 2003 when the Justice and Development Party came to power. Although Türkiye’s policy in Africa has many dimensions such as political, economic, religious, and cultural, this study focuses on its infrastructure investments. This paper argues that Türkiye’s commitment in infrastructure development in Africa is related with the President Erdoğan’s grand narrative of “The World is Bigger than Five” in Turkish foreign policy. Türkiye is not interested in material gains in the continent but it seeks to elevate and mobilize the African states in its endeavors to reform the current world order and to build a fairer world. Türkiye brands itself as a benevolent enterprising actor in Africa. This study deals with Turkish infrastructure practices and the President Erdoğan and other officials’ emphases on mutual gain and equal partnership in the projects in Africa. It also includes the infrastructure activities of Türkiye’s main competitors on the continent, China and France. While China engages in debt-trap diplomacy characterized by gaining stakes in shares of the infrastructures in exchange of writing off debts, France seeks to maintain its hegemonic status on the continent through infrastructure investments. Türkiye differs itself from these actors with its sincere statements and responsible investments on the continent, raising its image among the African population.

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