“Turkey started its G-20 presidency in 2015 with three priorities
– inclusiveness, investment and implementation – and the crosscutting
themes of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and low-income developing countries (LIDCs). Of these, inclusiveness and LIDCs are directly relevant to Africa. Now that the first quarter of Turkey’s G-20 presidency is over, it is a good time to assess its
implications for Africa, and make recommendations for the next
three-quarters ahead of the Antalya Summit. Turkey has recently instituted a foreign policy of opening up to Africa,
which has been carried out in a flexible and bottom-up fashion. This opening was then-foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s personal initiative. As prime minister, he has stated that inclusiveness is one of
the three priorities of the Turkish G-20 presidency. Turkey’s focus on LIDCs coincides with two long-term UN development initiatives that come into effect in 2015 – the new financing for development (FFD) agenda and sustainable development goals (SDGs).”
