BFF-57 Turkey’s Erdogan to go on new Africa trip, attend BRICS summit

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TURKEY-SAFRICA-AFRICA-DIPLOMACY

Turkey’s Erdogan to go on new Africa trip, attend BRICS summit

ANKARA, July 22, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will
make the latest in a string of trips to Africa this week, visiting South
Africa and Zambia as well as attending a summit of the BRICS leading emerging
economies, the presidency said Sunday.

The five BRICS countries — Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa –
– seen by analysts as rising challengers to established Western economies are
holding the group’s latest summit in Johannesburg.

Turkey is not a member of the BRICS, but Erdogan will attend a special
session in his capacity as the current chair of the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) at the event, the presidency said.

Previous reports have said Erdogan is also due to meet Russian President
Vladimir Putin on the summit’s sidelines.

Russia and Turkey have been cooperating increasingly strongly, notably on
the Syria crisis, and Ankara is buying Russian S-400 air defence systems in a
deal that has upset the West.

The Turkish presidency described Erdogan’s participation in Johannesburg as
the “first high level contact” between Turkey and the BRICS.

After the visit to South Africa on July 25-27, Erdogan will head to Zambia
on July 28 in what the presidency said would be the first ever visit by a
Turkish head of state.

Erdogan has made expanding Turkey’s presence in both Muslim and non-Muslim
Africa one of the priorities of his foreign policy.

Since being elected president in 2014, he has visited 20 African countries.

Ankara is aiming to have a Turkish diplomatic mission in every African
country and wants to play a major role in development and trade in the
continent.

It will be Erdogan’s first trip to Africa since was re-elected on June 24
for a second term with enhanced powers.

BSS/AFP/SSS/1926 hrs