Africa Foundation, Kenya Diplomacy Scholars Association (DIPSAK), and the University of Nairobi Department of Diplomacy and International Studies will host a two-day summit on Türkiye – the Horn of Africa Relations in October 2022 in the University of Nairobi.
Continuously improving its relations with the Horn of Africa in recent years, Türkiye adopted a foreign policy change with the African Action Plan in 1998 and has deepened the ties with the declaration of 2005 as “the Year of Africa.” In 2008, the first Türkiye-Africa Cooperation Summit was held in Istanbul with the participation of representatives from 50 African countries, and the opening of new embassies in 15 African countries followed it. Since then, Turkish foreign policy towards African countries has become multidimensional with high-level political visits, economic relations, humanitarian aid, cultural and educational programs, and diplomatic efforts in the peaceful settlement of disputes.
The Horn of Africa has an especially important place for Turkish foreign policy as the communities of the two regions have religious and historical ties, and Türkiye’s political relations have been concentrated in the region on the continent. In addition, the trade with the Horn of Africa countries constitutes 12 percent of Türkiye’s total trade with Sub-Saharan Africa, and the major share of the investments by Turkish companies in Africa goes to the Horn of Africa countries. Alongside Türkiye’s governmental and non-governmental organizations’ engaging in various operations for development cooperation and humanitarian action in the region, 30 percent of the international students from Sub-Saharan African countries studying in Türkiye in the last ten years are from the Horn, cementing the social and cultural ties between the regions. The mutuality of the intention to improve relations can be understood through many strategic cooperations, including the invitation of Türkiye to the East African Community Partnership Fund.
Four broad themes of cooperation on security, economy, politics, and culture will be explored at the symposium, where each theme will have four papers making a total of 16 papers to be presented. The papers should address one or a combination of the following themes:
1) A critical assessment of Türkiye’s political relations, including engagement within the regional and continental organizations framework.
2) Türkiye’s role in the Horn of Africa within the African Union’s peace and security architecture.
3) The Horn of Africa-Türkiye economic relations.
4) The role of cultural diplomacy in Türkiye’s relationship with the Horn of Africa countries.
Abstracts and author(s) resumés will be submitted to symposium@afrikavakfi.org and nzaum@uonbi.ac.ke. The abstracts will be 200-250 words, and the full papers will be 3500-4000 words. The papers presented at the symposium will be published in a book on the symposium. The presentations will be only in English.
Important Dates
Abstracts Submission Deadline – June 21
Acceptance Communication – July 1
Full Paper Submission – September 10
Full Paper Presentation – October 26-27
Contact Persons
Hacer Atabaş (haceratabas@afrikavakfi.org)
Africa Foundation in Ankara – Türkiye
Dr. Mumo Nzau (mumonzau@yahoo.com / nzaum@uonbi.ac.ke)
Department of Diplomacy and International Studies, University of Nairobi
Academic Committee
Prof. Dr. Mesut Özcan (Ankara Social Sciences University)
Dr. Asma Nairi (Africa Foundation)
Dr. Mehmet Köse (Africa Foundation)
Dr. Patrick Muthengi Maluki (University of Nairobi)
Dr. Mumo Nzau (University of Nairobi)