As the diplomatic tug-of-war between the United States and Turkey escalates, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is lining up new friends. In early August, Erdogan’s 100-day action plan identified new markets in China, Mexico, India and Russia. It did not mention Africa, despite the “African continent opening” Erdogan sought in the early 2000s.
Frequent headlines in the mainstream media have celebrated Erdogan as "the best friend of Africa.” As president he has visited 21 African countries on more than 30 trips.