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The Türkiye–Africa Day event, launched on June 30 in Istanbul, brings together government officials, financial institutions, and business leaders to advance infrastructure cooperation between Türkiye and African countries.
Held under the theme “Türkiye–Africa Cooperation: Deepening Partnerships for Infrastructure Development,” the ongoing forum has already resulted in partnership agreements between the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Turkish energy firms Calik Energy and Aksa Energy.
Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Treasury and Finance Osman Celik described infrastructure as the backbone of sustainable growth and emphasized that the continent still faces a serious financing shortfall. He said the evolving international financial architecture must play a key role in addressing this issue and highlighted Türkiye’s efforts in supporting blended capital strategies and risk-sharing mechanisms.
Celik announced that Turk Eximbank has become the first non-African institutional shareholder of AFC, signaling a long-term commitment to funding viable, transformative infrastructure projects across Africa.
Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Ahmet Berat Conkar noted that Türkiye has steadily expanded its relationship with Africa over the past two decades. He pointed out that bilateral trade has surpassed $40 billion and Turkish companies have successfully delivered more than $20 billion worth of infrastructure projects on the continent.
Citing research indicating that Africa's annual energy investment needs could reach $70–90 billion over the next ten years, Conkar stressed the importance of building knowledge-based and dependable partnerships. He also referenced Türkiye’s upcoming gold production in Niger and plans to expand mining cooperation with countries such as Sudan, Libya, and Morocco.
Turk Eximbank General Manager Ali Guney stated that the bank had already provided $1.5 billion in financing to African projects, with Africa accounting for 42% of its $3.7 billion buyer credit portfolio. Guney emphasized that the new equity partnership with AFC will help increase project access for Turkish contractors and strengthen the institutional foundations of Türkiye–Africa cooperation.
AFC President Samaila Zubairu called the agreement a turning point, describing Africa as a fast-growing region offering major opportunities in infrastructure and energy. He cited an ongoing $150 million joint project with Aksa Energy and affirmed AFC’s commitment to partnering with Turkish firms on development-driven initiatives.
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