The visit of Niger’s Defense Minister “Salifou Modi” to the Turkish capital Ankara to meet his Turkish counterpart “Yaşar Güler” on December 16, 2024, reflects Niger’s commitment to strengthening defense cooperation with Turkey and enhancing its military capabilities following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Niger on September 17, 2024. This came after France’s military withdrawal from Niger at the end of December 2023, at the request of the ruling military council that took power after the ousting of former President “Mohamed Bazoum.”
The visit also underscores Ankara’s interest in building relationships with Niamey, a key gateway for expanding Turkish influence in West Africa, especially after the reduced presence of the United States and France in the region. Additionally, Niger represents an important source for meeting Turkey’s uranium needs, which is crucial for developing its emerging nuclear industry.
Revealing Indicators
The relationship between Ankara and Niamey has witnessed a significant transformation in recent months, evidenced by several indicators:
Increased Official Visits: There has been a notable elevation in official visits between the two sides. Prior to the Niger Defense Minister’s visit to Turkey, Niger’s Prime Minister “Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine” visited Ankara on January 16, 2024, aimed at broadening international alliances for Niger to alleviate the regional and international pressures faced by the military council since President “Bazoum” was ousted on July 26, 2023. In return, a Turkish ministerial delegation led by Foreign Minister “Hakan Fidan” visited Niger on July 17, 2024, seeking to elevate political and security coordination with Niger.
Strengthening Economic Ties: The economic crisis in Niger, exacerbated by the suspension of some Western aid programs, particularly from the US, after the ousting of “Bazoum,” has significantly pushed Niger to advance its economic relations with Turkey. This was manifested in the Nigerien government awarding several contracts to Turkish companies, such as a €152 million contract for the modernization of Niamey Airport, a €50 million contract for building a luxury hotel, and a €38 million contract for constructing a new headquarters for the Ministry of Finance in the capital. The trade volume between the two countries reached about $203 million by the end of 2023, indicating tangible progress in economic relations.
Ankara’s Support for the Military Council: Unlike the Western stance opposing the military council’s actions led by General “Abdourahamane Tiani,” which culminated in the removal of “Bazoum,” Ankara has worked to develop its political and diplomatic relations with the council. This included rejecting threats from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on August 18, 2023, regarding potential military intervention in Niger; Turkish President “Recep Tayyip Erdoğan” described this threat as “incorrect.” Turkey also opposed Western efforts to intervene in Niger’s internal affairs, prompting the new ruling elite in Niger to bolster relations with Turkey.
Expanding Defense Partnership: Niger has shown considerable interest in enhancing defense cooperation. During his visit to Niger, the Defense Minister discussed concluding armament contracts and strategic coordination with Turkey, especially regarding supplying Niamey with drones for reconnaissance or attack, a priority in combating terrorist organizations, in addition to compensating for arms programs that Western countries had frozen in recent months.
Leveraging Turkish Humanitarian Diplomacy: Currently, Niger seeks to benefit from Turkey’s humanitarian diplomacy towards some African nations facing economic crises. Turkey has successfully utilized its relief programs as a soft power to strengthen its presence in Niger recently, allowing Niamey to benefit from these initiatives, which have improved living conditions. Nigerien students have also benefited from scholarships offered by Turkish universities and the Turkish Maarif Foundation, which operates about 13 schools in Niger.
Aspirational Goals
Turkey and Niger’s current interest is tied to expanding strategic relations, driven by a desire to achieve several common objectives, which can be summarized as follows:
Reducing Western Pressures on Niger: From Niamey’s perspective, strengthening defense and strategic relations with Ankara could help expand its options against Western nations imposing sanctions on Niger, especially after the military council dismantled security cooperation programs with Washington and expelled French troops. The new authorities in Niger believe that solidifying ties with Turkey – which has a significant presence in NATO, Africa, and the Middle East – could prompt Western nations to reconsider their future relations with Niamey.
Niger’s Desire for Turkish Support for Its Economy: Niger’s eagerness to enhance and develop ties with Turkey is closely linked to its desire to leverage the activities of Turkish companies operating in Africa. As the indicators of Niger’s economy remain sluggish and financial allocations for major projects are limited, Niamey views Ankara’s interest in expanding its economic footprint there as an opportunity to meet its needs in vital sectors like infrastructure.
Coordination with Turkey Against Terrorism: Niger recognizes that building strategic ties with Turkey at this juncture could aid in countering the activities of terrorist organizations that have recently exploited security vacuums in West Africa to reorganize and carry out more operations. Security coordination with Turkey could also provide ample space to combat organized crime, including illegal immigration.
Ankara’s Interest in Energy Projects in Niger: The energy sector is a significant factor driving Turkey’s interest in strengthening ties with Niger at this time. While Turkey faces energy shortages and the impact of Western sanctions targeting Moscow and Tehran on its oil imports, Niger possesses vast oil reserves. Consequently, Turkey and Niger signed a memorandum of understanding during the Turkish ministerial delegation’s visit on July 17, 2024, concerning cooperation in oil and natural gas development, supporting Turkish companies’ investments in exploration and development.
Meeting the Needs of Turkey’s Nuclear Industry: Part of Turkey’s interest in Niger relates to fulfilling its emerging nuclear industry’s requirements; Niger has the highest quality uranium reserves in Africa and ranks as the seventh-largest uranium producer globally. Notably, Turkey has relied on Canadian and French companies for uranium imports, but with the military council in Niger revoking these companies’ mining rights, Turkey has turned to leverage these tensions to obtain uranium directly from Niamey.
Balancing Russian Moves to Secure Turkish Interests in Libya: Ankara sees a critical relationship between its interests in Libya and its growing presence in Niger. The Turkish perspective holds that securing relations with the ruling military council in Niger is a priority, especially considering the intensified Russian involvement in the Libyan scene, particularly following the fall of the “Asad” regime in Syria and reports of Moscow’s attempts to relocate its military bases from “Tartus” and “Latakia” to the interior of Libya, raising concerns for Turkey, which seems poised to balance these Russian maneuvers.
Strategic Shift
In conclusion, it can be affirmed that Niger seeks to strengthen its relations with Turkey, which has propelled the country to expand defense cooperation with Ankara following tensions with Western nations that adopted an anti-military council stance after the ousting of President “Bazoum.” This direction appears poised to continue in the upcoming phase, especially in light of the repercussions of recent regional and international developments, reflecting a strategic shift in Niger’s policy toward its international partners.
