Turkey and Italy are finding common ground as they seek to expand their economic and diplomatic influence in Africa. The two nations are eyeing opportunities to cooperate on security, energy and migration as France's traditional influence on the continent wanes.
This month, Somalia's parliament ratified an agreement with Turkey to provide naval protection and assistance in building a Somali navy, another step in Turkey's efforts to expand its African presence.
"With this pact, Turkey will protect the Somali coast from pirates, terrorists – anyone that violates our maritime borders, like Ethiopia," declared Abdifatah Kasim, Somalia's deputy defence minister.
The defence deal was followed by a bilateral agreement on energy exploration in Somalia.
Ankara's growing influence in the region was underscored by a strong African presence at Turkey's annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum, with seven African heads of state, seven prime ministers and 25 foreign ministers in attendance.
In January, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosted African leaders at a summit in Rome, where she unveiled plans to expand Italy's influence on the continent.
"Our future inevitably depends on the future of the African continent. We are aware of this, and we want to do our part," Meloni declared.
"That's why we have decided to launch an ambitious programme of interventions that can help the continent grow and prosper, starting from its immense resources."
Common ground in Libya
Analysts say both countries are considering cooperating as a means of achieving their Africa goals.
"Italy is trying to fulfil a position that Western countries in some way left over the last decades, while Turkey has already been in Africa and in sub-Saharan Africa," observes Alessia Chiriatti of the Institute of International Affairs, an Italian think tank.
"The main issues for confrontation or cooperation – we will see – will be migration, energy issues, and, of course, the economic development of these countries," she says.
Also in January, Meloni met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. The meeting included talks on Africa, with a focus on cooperation in Libya – a country where experts say Ankara has considerable influence, including a military base.
The North African nation is a main transit route for migrants seeking to enter Europe, mainly through Italy.
Italy, France and other European countries see that as a "huge threat", according to Elem Eyrice-Tepeciklioglu of the African Studies Department at Ankara's Social Sciences University.
"So there is room to cooperate in this area and to prevent the illegal flow of migrants, and cooperate in the security area as well."
On Tuesday, the Italian and Turkish defence ministers held talks in Ankara. Exploiting Libya's vast energy reserves is also potential common ground.
France on the outs
Meanwhile the recent ousting of regimes sympathetic to France in Niger, Mali and Gabon – and with it, the withdrawal of French forces – has severely weakened France's historical political and economic influence in West Africa.
That offers an opportunity to Italy and Turkey.
"Italy could have an important cooperation with Turkey in order to take advantage of the position left aside by some countries like France, like Germany, like the other Western countries in Africa," says analyst Chiriatti.
"But it will also depend on the bilateral agenda and bilateral interests expressed by Turkey and Italy," she adds. "That's not always the same. So in this sense, we need to see what will happen in the future step by step."
Business opportunities
Chiriatti warns that cooperation can easily turn into rivalry in business. But Africa's vast economic potential is seen as offering plenty of room for partnership.
"There are several areas where Turkey can cooperate with other countries, including European countries, because Turkish companies are trying to increase their investments," says Eyrice-Tepeciklioglu.
"They would like to gain new contracts for large projects, et cetra. Africa is in desperate need of infrastructure. There's a huge energy deficit and infrastructure gap in the whole continent," she notes.
With Italy and Turkey lacking the financial muscle of other influential players on the continent – notably China – both countries have powerful incentives to focus on potential partnership in their bid to expand their influence in Africa.
