Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Thursday with Niger’s military ruler, Abdourahamane Tiani, for talks focused on defense and security cooperation.
Tiani arrived in Ankara late Wednesday along with 10 ministers on his first official trip outside Africa since seizing power in a 2023 coup that ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
Turkey has become a defense partner for Niger as the Sahel country battles militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Niger’s ruling junta has sought new alliances since breaking with France, which ruled Niger as a colony until 1960 and long maintained a military presence there.
Speaking at a joint news conference, Erdoğan said Turkey was “closely following” Niger’s fight against the militants and that he and Tiani had discussed cooperation in military training and intelligence.
“I hope we will soon see positive results from the meetings the visiting delegation will have with leading defense contractors,” Erdoğan said.
Nigerien media said the visit was aimed at strengthening defense ties and seeking Turkish investment in the landlocked country’s uranium, gold and oil deposits.
Turkey has expanded its presence in parts of Africa through a strategy that combines military cooperation, drone exports and economic partnerships. It is a supplier of armed drones to Sahel countries that have fought militant groups for more than a decade.
The most popular Turkish-made models among African military leaders are Baykar’s Bayraktar TB2 drone and its larger Akıncı drone.
Turkey trained Malian commandos and in April signed an agreement to send instructors to Niger.
Cooperation also extends to mining. Niger has facilitated access for Turkish companies to gold and uranium under a 2024 agreement.
Niger’s L’Enquêteur newspaper said Wednesday that the visit would focus on security, with Niamey “seeking to bolster its arsenal” and “to attract Turkish investment in Niger’s vast natural resources to finance new energy infrastructure.”
© Agence France-Presse