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Turkey has started to follow an ambitious strategy following 2000 but it intensified following 2016 coup attempt. This strategy partly involves expanding its influence in African countries. Turkey seeks for natural resources but that is part of its strategy. In order to ensure the safety of its commercial and maritime navy passage or presence in the region, Turkey believes that it has to acquire maritime and military bases to protect its interests on world’s most important trade routes and some of its most resource-rich regions. And when any country implies such intensions, it meets with strong opposition from global and regional powers allocated in the region.

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Turkey has some weakness to achieve such strategy. The first obstacle is countless Greek-controlled islands that lay in Aegean Sea. These islands could be utilized by Greece to block the trade routes or even worse an attack by maritime powers.

 

 
Second major obstacles is the lack of energy resources. That is why Turkey has in recent years become increasingly forceful in asserting its claims to hydrocarbon deposits in the eastern Mediterranean.
 
Third major obstacle is its weak economy. Despite the fact that Turkish navy is going under ambitious modernization drive the progress is slow. This is due to weak industrial base and procurement budget. Moreover, President Erdogan economic administration is affected by his religious ideology and also his elite supporters who seek for low (if possible no) interest rate (to be frank, they seek for Islamic economic model).
 
All these affect Ankara’s achievements in Africa. However there is also success story, too. Turkish achievement in Somalia encourages Ankara to persuade the strategy it follows so far. Ankara has set a base and navy where Ankara can keep an eye on Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
 
Its strategy on Sudan, Ethiopia and Sahel region have not been a total success but also not a failure. Ankara is well aware that these achievement require time and financial resources. However opportunities are present. Turkey has a great opportunity in Sahel region which rises the eyebrows in Paris since there is growing anti-French sentiment as well as shrinking presence in the Sahel region. It requires defense industry acquisition and Turkish defense industry is seeking regions to grow. This would open window for Turkey to have economic gains including natural resources.
 
Everybody is talking about neo-Ottoman structure but it is just history. Turkey wants to grow its influence and access energy resource where Ankara will have navy to protect the sea routes. In order to achieve this, Ankara must start with applying right economic policies.