Speakers

We will be greatly honored and pleased to host the esteemed Heads of State, Ministers, business leaders, and all distinguished participants who will gather for the Fifth Türkiye-Africa Economic and Business Forum in Istanbul.

This Forum strongly reflects the depth and the growing significance of Türkiye-Africa relations. At a time of global economic fluctuations, our partnership stands out as an inspiring example of solidarity, resilience, and mutual progress. Türkiye will steadfastly continue to work in close cooperation with African countries to promote inclusive growth, support industrial development, and strengthen sustainable advancement.

I sincerely believe that the new connections to be established during the Forum will broaden the horizons of our cooperation and, by further deepening our already strong partnership, will open up new opportunities for our peoples.

The Türkiye-Africa Economic and Business Forum stands as a clear signal of Africa’s growing influence and readiness to shape its economic destiny through strong and mutually respectful partnerships.

As Chairperson of the African Union, I reaffirm Africa’s commitment to building robust and balanced economic ties that go beyond trade and support industrialization, infrastructure development, innovation, and the full realization of our continental potential.

Africa is moving forward with purpose. The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is laying the foundation for a single African market of over one billion people. This transformation is not theoretical. It is already reshaping how we produce, trade, and invest.

The relationship between Africa and Türkiye is anchored in shared interests, growing trust, and a common aspiration for sustainable growth. This Forum provides a critical space for businesses and policymakers to translate that aspiration into concrete results. From agribusiness to manufacturing, from digital solutions to clean energy, the potential is vast and the time to act is now.

Africa is open for business. Open on African terms and with partners who share our vision for inclusive growth, job creation, and value addition. Türkiye has shown itself to be such a partner, and this Forum must now take our cooperation to the next level.

Together we can shape a future that reflects the full promise of Africa and delivers tangible benefits to our peoples.

The Türkiye-Africa Economic and Business Forum offers a timely and strategic opportunity to deepen cooperation and unlock new avenues for sustainable economic growth between Africa and Türkiye.

As Africa accelerates its integration efforts, the importance of strong partnerships based on innovation, technology transfer, and inclusive investment cannot be overstated. This Forum encourages meaningful dialogue that bridges public and private sectors and fosters practical solutions to shared challenges.

Africa must be at the center of all engagements, ensuring that partnerships translate into tangible benefits for its people. Economic cooperation must prioritize job creation, skills development, and industrial capacity building to empower communities and drive inclusive growth across the continent.

Africa’s economic transformation depends on collaborative efforts that drive industrialization, enhance infrastructure, and support entrepreneurship across all regions. Türkiye’s role as a dynamic partner adds great value to this journey.

The African Union Commission is committed to facilitating partnerships that enhance economic resilience, create jobs, and promote sustainable development. Together, we can build a future of shared prosperity and opportunity for our peoples.

TABEF, at a time when global economic uncertainties are being deeply felt, offers a unique platform for deepening the strategic partnership between Türkiye and Africa. At this fifth edition of the Forum, we will gather around the theme: “Managing Global Economic Uncertainties: Strengthening the Türkiye-Africa Partnership.” This theme reflects not only our collective quest for a joint response to current challenges, but also our shared commitment to strong cooperation and sustainable development.

The Forum’s rich agenda focuses on the common interests and strategic sectors of Türkiye and Africa. Within its framework, representatives of the business community and government officials will have the opportunity to engage in bilateral meetings as well as to participate in panel discussions and expert-led sessions designed to generate concrete and actionable solutions to priority issues.

In this period of turbulence in the global economy, it is imperative that we advance our cooperation further in order to safeguard the growth and prosperity of our peoples. With determination and continuous dialogue, I firmly believe that Türkiye and Africa will transform these uncertainties into opportunities and open new horizons.

The Türkiye-Africa Economic and Business Forum represents a vital platform for advancing strategic economic collaboration between Africa and Türkiye. It reflects a shared vision for deeper trade, investment, and industrial partnerships that support sustainable and inclusive development.

This Forum comes at a time when Africa is accelerating its integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), creating new opportunities for intra-African trade, industrial growth, and global competitiveness. Within this context, partnerships with global actors such as Türkiye are critical to driving industrialization, boosting value chains, and promoting innovation across the continent.

The Forum provides space for meaningful dialogue and practical engagement between public and private sector leaders. It encourages the formation of joint ventures, knowledge transfer, and business-to-business cooperation in key sectors including manufacturing, infrastructure, green energy, digital economy, agriculture, and tourism.

Africa and Türkiye are well positioned to shape a dynamic economic future together, one that is grounded in mutual benefit, resilience, and long-term prosperity

We are organizing the Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum (TABEF) on 16–17 October 2025 at the Istanbul Congress Center, under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, in coordination with the African Union, and organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK).

This year, we will hold the fifth edition of TABEF with the main theme “Strengthening Türkiye-Africa Relations through Shared Prosperity.” Our priority sectors include agriculture and food, renewable energy, mining, automotive, textiles, transportation and logistics, construction and contracting, defense industry, and digital technologies. Türkiye builds its relations with Africa on the principle of “win-win.”

Within the framework of the “Strategy for the Development of Commercial and Economic Relations with African Countries”, our agenda focuses on increasing the number of high-level mutual visits, expanding product diversity and export support for the African market, enhancing the number of commercial, economic and technical cooperation agreements, broadening Turkish Eximbank’s financing opportunities, promoting free trade and investment incentive agreements, introducing our defense industry across the continent, expanding Turkish contracting services in Africa, and increasing both the number and the amount of scholarships provided to African students.