The Africa Forum 2026 was held in Istanbul this week, bringing together officials of international organisations, government officials, and top academics to discuss the future of Türkiye-Africa relations.
The three-day event from May 20 to 22 at Marmara University was held under the theme of finding "home-grown solutions" to Africa's challenges.
In his opening speech, Marmara University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Okur emphasized that Türkiye’s relationship with African nations must be viewed within the broader framework of academic production, economic integration and societal cooperation.
Ambassador Dr. Ayşe Sözen Usluer, the Istanbul representative of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered a comprehensive opening address tracing the historical evolution of Turkish-African relations, underlining Ankara's strategic orientations of Turkish-African relations.
One of the major themes of the first day was agricultural diplomacy and food security. Dr. Hasan Gezginç, General Director of Turkish Agricultural Enterprises, noted that Türkiye’s agricultural experience represented a significant potential to production in Africa.
On defence and military technology transfers, panelists explored potential areas of cooperation between Africa’s growing security needs and the capacities of the Turkish defence industry.
Subsequent sessions at the forum focused on energy security and the digital economy. A panel organized by the Al Sharq Forum mapped out how regional crises—including the Iran War— have directly impacted African energy supplies and maritime trade stability.
The third and final day of the Forum was devoted to culture, society, art and youth. The opening speech, delivered by the coordinator of TRT Afrika, Tuğrul Oğuzhan Yılmaz, evaluated the role of media, public diplomacy and communication networks in Turkish-African relations.
“The Forum demonstrated that Africa should be understood not only through its crises and structural challenges, but also as an emerging global actor, shaped by digital transformation, entrepreneurship, energy corridors, cultural production, demographic dynamism and regional cooperation,” noted a concluding statement.
