Physical Address
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Turkish and African businesspeople gathered in Istanbul for the two-day World Cooperation Industries (WCI) Forum, which opened on Wednesday.
The event was attended by top Turkish commercial bodies and officials and featured a speech by Trade Minister Ömer Bolat.
Utku Bengisu, president of the forum, said in his opening address that “investing in Africa is investing in the future,” emphasizing that the event has made positive contributions to Turkish-African relations.
Bengisu highlighted that the forum has helped Turkish products and technologies gain popularity across the African continent.
“We are proud to have 450,000 Turkish companies in Africa in our database,” he noted.
He also emphasized that the focus on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) continues through events similar to the WCI Forum and with the support of the Turkish Trade Ministry, prioritizing production and exports.
Bengisu also discussed ongoing projects to strengthen Türkiye-Africa ties, citing a Digital Transformation Center which opened last year and employs AI-powered next-generation export solutions alongside field-oriented approaches.
He added that Turkish and Libyan business communities will meet in Benghazi, Libya, in December for a major event.
Bolat, for his part, said that Turkish businesspeople have invested $2.3 billion (TL 93 billion) and employed 35,000 people in Africa, while the country’s construction sector has been actively engaged on the continent with over 2,300 projects under its belt.
“Türkiye-Africa relations accelerated rapidly in politics, diplomacy, trade, tourism and investments after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took office at the end of 2002,” he noted, adding that the year 2005 was dubbed the “Year of Africa” in Türkiye after the Turkish government announced its strategy for the region in 2003.
“Turkish Airlines plays a key role in bridging 54 African countries to the world, while the number of our embassies on the continent rose from 12 in 2003 to 44, we hope to reach 50 embassies soon,” he also said.
“The total trade between Türkiye and the African continent was $5.4 billion in 2003, but this figure rose sevenfold to $36.5 billion by 2024, while our exports totaled $21.8 billion and we imported around $15 billion,” he added.
Ahmet Güleç, deputy chair of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM), emphasized that trade between Türkiye and Africa is crucial to the region’s peaceful development and offers a mutually beneficial situation for both parties.
“Türkiye has always extended a helping hand to Africa – our trade and cooperation-focused approach shows that our relations are growing economically, socially and culturally,” he said.
Abdulkadir Develi, executive chair of the WCI Forum, meanwhile, said the event comes at a time of global uncertainty, where trust is more important than ever in trade. He added that economic security is crucial for countries to overcome challenges, and that trade diplomacy has become increasingly significant in this evolving geopolitical landscape.
