Turkey and Senegal plan to deepen cooperation following the Prime Minister's visit to Ankara
In August 2025, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko visited Ankara at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, marking another significant chapter in the growing relationship between Turkey and Senegal. During the visit, both leaders discussed expanding bilateral relations, signed agreements, and explored further cooperation on regional and global issues.
The current state of economic cooperation between the two nations is on an upward trajectory. Senegal, a West African country noted for its stability and institutionalized democracy, stands to benefit from its ties with Turkey, which is actively seeking to advance its relations with the African continent based on a win-win relationship and equal partnership.
The roots of this relationship can be traced back to the early post-colonial period when Senegal gained independence in 1960. The Turkish Embassy in Dakar, one of Turkey’s earliest diplomatic missions in Africa, was established in 1962. Since then, relations have matured through continued diplomatic engagement, such as President Erdoğan’s official visit to Senegal in 2018 and Senegal’s President Macky Sall’s 2019 visit to Turkey.
Turkey's engagement with the African continent has been gaining pace over the years. The African Union made Turkey a strategic partner in 2008, reflecting Turkey’s growing role on the continent. Turkey has increased its embassies across Africa substantially and deepened its economic and political engagement, with total foreign trade between Turkey and sub-Saharan Africa rising significantly over the years.
For Senegal, economic cooperation with Turkey is crucial, especially given the country's current economic struggles. Senegal unveiled an economic recovery plan on August 1, aiming to address a 14% budget deficit and outstanding public debt that represents 119% of the country's GDP. According to Senegal's Economy Minister Abdourahmane Sarr, 90% of resources under the new plan are expected to come from the mobilization of internal resources and without external debt.
Both sides have been vowing to tap into their greater potential for further expanding and deepening relations. In 2020, President Erdoğan paid another official visit to Senegal, which included a business forum. This visit, along with the recent high-level engagement between the two leaders, is a testament to the commitment of both Turkey and Senegal to strengthen their strategic partnership.
The two countries are seeking ways to improve ties, with several cooperation agreements scheduled to be signed during Prime Minister Sonko's visit to Ankara. These agreements are aimed at deepening their strategic partnership and reflect Turkey's commitment to its multidimensional foreign policy, which emphasises developing relations and cooperation with African countries.
In conclusion, Turkey and Senegal maintain a historically rooted relationship that has grown into a dynamic strategic partnership. Economic cooperation is strengthening through recent agreements and high-level engagements, fitting into Turkey’s broader multi-dimensional Africa policy focused on partnership and development.
- The strategic partnership between Turkey and Senegal is expanding, especially in the economic domain, as evidenced by their ongoing discussions about bilateral relations and recent signing of agreements.
- Recognizing Senegal's economic challenges, economic cooperation with Turkey is crucial for Senegal, as demonstrated by its recently unveiled economic recovery plan, which seeks to address fiscal deficits and public debt by mobilizing internal resources.
- The strong economic ties between Turkey and Senegal reflect Turkey's growing role on the African continent and commitment to partnership and development, as part of its multi-dimensional foreign policy approach that emphasizes relations and cooperation with African countries.
