The Turkish government's obsession with becoming a global power is providing a study in contrasts: While Turkey has been using civilian planes to transport weapons to Nigeria, it also is employing navy combat vessels to hand out humanitarian assistance in Africa.

Although confirmation by the Nigerian navy of the admission (in a phone call) by two senior Turkish officials that Turkish Airlines had been transporting weapons to Nigeria got lost in the election pandemonium at home, it was enough to generate misgivings in Africa of what kind of a mission Turkey was pursuing.

But the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, skillful in public diplomacy, is also launching a US-style campaign that may clear the qualms. The Turkish navy is now on its way to Africa on a humanitarian mission called "Beyond Horizons."

The flotilla of four navy ships will visit 29 ports in 27 countries on a mission of 102 days to deliver humanitarian supplies. The public diplomacy coordinator of the prime minister's office announced that the move will display Turkey’s hard-power elements in a soft-power mission: “The Barbaros [Turkish Naval] Task Force made up of four frigates of the Turkish navy has departed from Kocaeli to fly the Turkish flag at Cape Hope for the first time in 148 years. The task force will visit 27 African countries in 102 days to deliver Turkey’s assistance to countries in need.”