TAZ: Erdogan scores in Africa

Erdogan’s ambitious ambitions in Africa as a just partner and today’s Solz-Draghi meeting at the beginning of an enhanced bilateral cooperation in the German press.

To his credit, Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted the third Turkish-African summit in Istanbul last weekend, attended by 36 representatives of an equal number of dancers, including 16 senior officials. As noted by daily newspaper of Berlin, the Turkish president did not give in for great reasons. “We want to work together on equal terms beyond imperialist tutelage and neo-colonial exploitation of Africa by other countries.” “Erdogan promised a large donation of 15 million for the Turkish vaccine Turkovac and scolded the West because Africa received so few vaccines from those produced internationally,” he wrote in his article. “But the key issue was defense co-operation, a field in which Turkey, as a new international player, makes sense with its own fighter drone. “Erdogan, the Bayraktar TB2 fighter drone, which proved its effectiveness in both Syria and Libya and in the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”

The left-wing newspaper published in Berlin describes the Turkish president’s future ambitions on the African continent. “Although the sale of military equipment has played an important role, Turkey is interested in much more. Erdogan wants to establish his country as a fair partner in Africa between, on the one hand, the old European colonial powers, The new imperialists from China are really interested in cooperating with Turkey, which is why the number of Turkish embassies in Africa has increased from 12 to 43 since 2002. No airline outside Africa flies to so many destinations in China. The volume of trade between Turkey and sub-Saharan Africa does not exceed $ 10 billion, but will rise significantly in the coming years. Turkey manages schools and wants to work with Africa on agricultural cooperation countries. Its successes are viewed with suspicion by old forces that have the upper hand. “France in particular sees itself as being threatened by Turkey, according to French media reports, and President Macron’s increasingly harsh stance towards Erdogan.”

Germany – Italy, alliance

Olaf Solz’s maiden visit to Italy today may be the fourth visit of the new German chancellor, but it is as if it were the first, or almost the first. THE Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in its current paper reveals that the two countries are preparing a joint action plan, which is at an early stage, but aims to give new impetus to bilateral relations. The reason is the Italian-French approach with the signing on November 26 of the so-called “Treaty of Kyrenalio”, an enhanced bilateral cooperation equivalent to the German-French Treaty of the Elysées.

“According to what has become known so far, the German-Italian initiative should not have the same quality as the Kyrenia Treaty,” the German columnist notes. “Obviously the German side wants it a little smaller, but more specific. Major friendship agreements do not belong to the German foreign policy culture, and Berlin does not want to jeopardize the exclusivity of German-French friendship. In Germany, criticism of Rome over reform delays, high public debt and political instability, Germany’s consent to the EU Pandemic Recovery Fund has eased things somewhat, so are the two countries facing a resurgence of bilateral relations? “Because Italy’s rifts with Germany and the EU are deep and long,” writes Alexander Grasse, a professor of political science at the University of Giessen.

Her commentator Southgerman newspaper points out that it is a happy occasion that three major European countries are ruled by pro-European leaders. “Reconstruction Fund” underlines, “the largest European solidarity event in a pandemic period, bears the signature of the French president and the new chancellor.”

The journalist describes the difficulties that may arise in this field with the presidential elections next April in France and the possibility of Mario Draghi being elected the new president of the country in January. “The possible implication would now be that the new chancellor has the task of keeping Europe stable. That is why Mario Draghi should be even more interested in preparing the ground and persuading Soltz to agree to a relaxation of the terms of the Stability Pact.” For the chancellor, the issue is extremely delicate, and even if he were supposed to agree with the reform rules, it would be negligent to make them public. difficult to communicate to them … Solz is also in a dilemma, because experience shows that large European projects, which include the evolution of Europe into a federal union, as agreed in the government agreement, can be implemented only when, firstly, France and Germany agree, and secondly, when the northern Eurozones are convinced that Italy is stable and governed pro-European. ”

Irini Anastassopoulou

SOURCE: Deutsche Welle