Algeria–Turkey relations explained

Algero–Turkish
Party1:Algeria
Party2:Turkey
Mission1:Algerian embassy, Ankara
Mission2:Turkish embassy, Algiers

Algerian-Turkish relations refers to the diplomatic relations between Turkey and Algeria. Algeria has an embassy in Ankara, and a general consulate in Istanbul. Turkey has an embassy in Algiers. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean.

History

Up from 16th century until 1830, northern Algeria was part of the Ottoman Empire, then known as Ottoman Algeria. Algiers was one of the eyalets and enjoyed a significant degree of political autonomy.

In 2017, one of the symbols for the 500-year old friendship between Turkey and Algeria, the Ketchaoua Mosque in Algiers, was restored with Turkish funds. Restoration was one of the projects related to "Friendship and Cooperation Agreement" signed during Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Algeria in 2006.[1] [2]

History has been in the core of both sides officials' discourse regarding the Algeria–Turkey relations. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes it as: "Turkey and Algeria share common history as well as deep-rooted cultural and brotherly ties."[3] In order to consolidate relations between the two countries, a cultural and historical symposium was organized in 2017. During the meeting, Algerian Minister of Culture Azzedine Mihoubi said "We need to increase the number of such activities on our common history and look more into our history belonging to the Ottoman period".

Modern relations

Algerian War

Until the 1960 Turkish coup d'état, Turkey supported France in UN votes since they were NATO allies. Turkey first voted unfavorable (1955) and then abstained (1958) in the voting on Algeria's independence at the UN. The main reason to that, was Turkey's aim to get closer with France and favouring Algerian Independence would negatively affect France–Turkey relations. However, this decision of Turkish officials was later critiqued as propensity for shorttermism [4] and damaged bilateral relations.

During a visit by President Süleyman Demirel to Algeria in 1999, it was uncovered that the first covert military aid from Turkey to Algeria occurred in 1957.[5] The Turkish foreign policy after 1960 was favorable towards the Algerian cause. On July 31, 1960, Prime Minister Cemal Gürsel said: "I have been following with close interest the noble and heroic struggles of the Algerians for a long time."[6] On September 16, 1960, some members of the National Unity Committee issued a statement declaring their support for the Algerian Liberation Movement. In a 1995 interview, Alparslan Türkeş said that Turkey sent Algeria 20 thousand rifles and 200 cannons[7] since "Algeria was from the former Ottoman province and its people were Muslims. It was also natural to expect support from Muslim countries. However, the expected support was not given at the time of the Democrat Party. Algerians maintained their contacts with the world mostly through Libyan embassies. The Revolutionary government contacted the Algerian Liberation Movement through the Libyan embassy in Ankara. The Algerian delegation of three, including a lady, came to Ankara. Türkeş met with the delegation. The delegation requested ammunition from Turkey. Türkeş promised to send a large amount of ammunition. The weapons were sent to Libya by ship, and from there to the Algerian Liberation Movement."[8] Algeria–Turkey relations began to normalize after the then Prime Minister Turgut Özal, who visited Algeria in 1985, apologized to Algeria for Turkey's stance in the UN votes in the 1950s.

Normalization (1985-present)

First step to restore the situation was taken by then Prime Minister of Turkey Turgut Özal. He visited Algeria in 1985 and explicitly apologized for Turkey's unfavorable voting. Following year, Algerian Prime Minister Abdelhamid Brahimi paid a visit (first official Algerian visit to Turkey) and signed an oil trade deal with Turkey.

In the 1990s, both Algeria and Turkey had similar secular military and Islamist tensions. The Algerian military's intervention led to the repression of FIS and the subsequent Algerian Civil War in 1992 and the Turkish military forced the resignation of the Erbakan government and the banned the Welfare Party.[9] Since the tensions between the military and the Islamist party led to a civil war in Algeria, Necmettin Erbakan said "Turkey will not turn into Algeria" in 1992[10] and 1997.[11] But on May 10, 1997 Welfare Party Şanlıurfa MP İbrahim Halil Çelik threatened that "If you try to close the İmam Hatip schools under the RP government, blood will be spilled. It would be worse than Algeria."[12] Erbakan and his associates developed ties with FIS and when Erbakan visited the American Muslim Council in October 1994, he engaged with FIS representatives.[13]

In 1999, Turkish President Süleyman Demirel stated that negative connotations of Turkey's abstaining vote in 1958 are totally erased.[14] Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika paid a visit to Turkey in 2005. Mutual visits have been a turning point to strengthen bilateral relations as well as reviving friendship between the countries."[15]

Algeria is a partner for Turkey with increasing importance in Africa and considered to be an important partner in the Islamic world and Africa for Turkey. Meanwhile Algeria is a close partner of Iran. In fact, Algeria was one of the countries that abstained from voting on a 2012 UN draft resolution condemning human rights violations by the Assad regime which is supported by Iran. Iranian officials have also previously underlined that Iran and Algeria have the capacity to create a new world order. Aware of this situation, Turkey seems determined not to leave its potential African partners in the hands of rival regional and global powers.[16] Therefore, In 2013, Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid a visit to Algeria and met Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Algiers. Increasing cooperations, both economic, political and security, were placed.[17] [18]

Economy

"We see Algeria as an island of political and economic stability in the region. Our first trading partner in Africa is Algeria." said Turkish President Erdoğan[19] and he added:"Therefore, around one thousand Turkish firms are in Algeria carrying on businesses with an investment volume of 3.5 billion dollars."[20] Algeria is Turkey's 23rd largest export market and 25th largest supplier of goods imports with a total trade volume of 4.5 billion while [21] Turkey is Algeria's 6th biggest economic partner.[22] Algeria's most exported good to Turkey is oil hydrocarbons and natural gas. Algeria imports construction material the most from Turkey.[23] Algeria is the 4th biggest natural gas supplier of Turkey with %8 percent of the share.[24]

At the end of June 2024 it was officially announced that in 2023 trade between Algeria and Turkey reached a new peak with $6.3 billion. The Algerian and Turkish presidents say they want to reach $10 billion in trade between the two nations. In 2018, trade between the two countries was only 3.5 billion.[25] Otherwise in 2024 around 1,500 Turkish companies operate in Algeria. The total investment volume of these companies exceeded $6 billion, and Turkish construction companies have so far implemented 636 projects worth $21.3 billion in Algeria.[26]

Security

In 2003, Turkish-Algerian ministers signed a security memo against drug, human trafficking and organized crimes. Both sides described terrorism as a big problem and discussed uniting struggles against such groups and organizations.[27] By the October of the same year, a military cooperation agreement was framed. The agreement included clauses such as technology transfer, common military drills and exchange of military information.[28] Turkey, as a NATO member, plays a significant role on the thawing relations between the group and Algeria, due to the importance of Algeria for the regional security of Africa and MENA.[29] Turkey is also becoming an increasingly important weapon exporter to Algeria and military cooperation between the two countries is growing as well, given the status of Algerian People's National Armed Forces as one of the most well-trained, battle-hardened and professional African militaries.

State visits

From Algeria to Turkey:

DatesHead of State
April 1986Prime Minister Abdelhamid Brahimi
February 2–4, 2005President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
December 21, 2021Prime minister Aymen Benabderrahmane
May 15-18, 2022[30] President Abdelmadjid Tebboune

From Turkey to Algeria:

DatesHead of State
February 4–6, 1985Prime Minister Turgut Özal
January 17–20, 1988 President Kenan Evren
January 25–26, 1999President Süleyman Demirel
May 22–23, 2006 Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
June 4–5, 2013Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
November 19–20, 2014President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
February 26–27, 2018President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Turkey restores symbolic mosque listed as UNESCO heritage site in Algeria. 16 December 2017. Daily Sabah.
  2. Web site: Association of Researchers on Africa. Uluslararası Osmanlı'dan Günümüze Türkiye-Cezayir İlişkileri Sempozyumu, Oturum Kitapçığı 11-12 Mart 2017, Cezayir. 7 March 2017.
  3. Web site: Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Relations between Turkey–Algeria. 2018-04-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20181120095346/http://www.mfa.gov.tr/relations-between-turkey%E2%80%93algeria.en.mfa. 2018-11-20.
  4. News: BBC Worldwide . Highlights from Turkish Islamist press 12 Oct 06 . 12 October 2006. .
  5. Web site: 28 January 1999 . 42 yıl sonra açıklanan tarihi gerçek: Türkiye Cezayir'e silah vermiş . 1 April 2023 . www.hurriyet.com.tr . tr.
  6. News: Hür . Ayşe . 4 February 2012 . Türkiye'nin Cezayir Konusunda Alnı Ak mı? . Bianet . 1 April 2023.
  7. Web site: 3 June 2015 . Türkeş 55 yıl önce Cezayir'e silah göndermiş! . 1 April 2023 . takvim.com.tr . tr.
  8. Book: Cengiz, Oğuzhan . Alparslan Türkeş - Başbuğ . Bilgeoğuz Yayınları . 2020 . 98 . tr.
  9. Esposito . John L. . 2000 . Islam and Civil Society . RSC Working Papers . en.
  10. News: 7 November 1992 . 'Türkiye, Cezayir Olmaz' . Milliyet.
  11. Web site: 14 May 1997 . Erbakan: Türkiye Cezayir olmaz . 1 April 2023 . Milliyet . tr.
  12. News: Armutçu . Oya . 17 November 1997 . Erbakan tutuklanabilir . Hürriyet . 1 April 2023.
  13. Robins . Philip . 1997 . Turkish foreign policy under Erbakan . Survival . 39 . 2 . 82-100 . 10.1080/00396339708442913.
  14. Web site: Hürriyet. 42 yıl sonra açıklanan tarihi gerçek: Türkiye Cezayir'e silah vermiş. 28 January 1999.
  15. News: BBC Worldwide . Turkey ready to support ties with Algerian universities. 6 June 2013. .
  16. Web site: Arab News. Will Erdogan's 'walk with Africa' policy prove successful?. Sinem Cengiz. 2 March 2018.
  17. Web site: Al Jazeera. Why is Algeria important for Turkey?. 31 May 2014. Ismail Numan Telci.
  18. Web site: Bouteflika okays Turkish development schemes in Algeria. Aa.com.tr. 16 January 2018.
  19. Web site: Basın İlan Kurumu. Türkiye ile Cezayir arasında 1 milyar dolarlık anlaşma. 28 February 2018. 13 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20190502183700/https://www.bik.gov.tr/turkiye-ile-cezayir-arasinda-1-milyar-dolarlik-anlasma/. 2 May 2019.
  20. Web site: Directorate General of Press and Information. CUMHURBAŞKANI: "CEZAYİR'E GÜVENİYORUZ". 26 February 2018. 13 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413191454/http://www.byegm.gov.tr/engl%C4%B1sh/news/cumhurbaskani-cezayire-guveniyoruz/124974. 13 April 2018.
  21. Web site: Republic of Turkey Ministry of Economy. Algeria. July 2013. 2018-04-13. 2018-04-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20180414010320/https://www.economy.gov.tr/portal/faces/home/disIliskiler/ulkeler/ulke-detay/Algeria/html-viewer-ulkeler?contentId=UCM%23dDocName%3AEK-170217&contentTitle=Economic+Profile&_adf.ctrl-state=1bam77vhsl_1&contentTitle=Economic%20Profile&_adf.ctrl-state=11eiqizskq_174&_afrLoop=22771154986529846&_afrWindowMode=0&_afrWindowId=null#!%40%40%3F_afrWindowId%3Dnull%26_afrLoop%3D22771154986529846%26contentId%3DUCM%2523dDocName%253AEK-170217%26contentTitle%3DEconomic%2BProfile%26contentTitle%3DEconomic%2BProfile%26_afrWindowMode%3D0%26_adf.ctrl-state%3D1bam77vhsl_5.
  22. Web site: World Integrated Trade Solution. Algeria exports, imports and trade balance By Country 2015. 2015.
  23. Web site: Republic of Turkey Ministry of Economy. Cezayir. 2017.
  24. Web site: Republic of Turkey Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. Ham Petrol ve Doğalgaz Sektör Raporu. May 2015.
  25. Web site: Ecofin . Agence . L’Algérie, premier partenaire commercial de la Turquie en Afrique avec des échanges estimés à 3,5 milliards $ . 2024-06-23 . Agence Ecofin . fr-fr.
  26. Web site: Rédaction . 2024-06-22 . Foire internationale d’Alger : Le vice-président turc à Alger . 2024-06-23 . La patrie news . fr-FR.
  27. News: BBC Worldwide . Turkish, Algerian ministers discuss fight against terror, crime, sign security memo. 5 September 2003. .
  28. Web site: Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Hükümeti ile Cezayir Demokratik Halk Cumhuriyeti Hükümeti Arasında Askeri İşbirliği (Çerçeve) Anlaşması. 5 May 2005.
  29. Web site: Algeria's Relationship With NATO Begins to Thaw After Long Chill. Al-Monitor. 8 July 2012. Atef Kadadra.
  30. Web site: Elle intervient dans un contexte particulier : Visite d’Etat du président Tebboune en Turquie . 2024-06-23 . El watan . en.