Turkey and the new scramble for Africa: Ottoman designs or unfounded fears?

Source:Brookings blog Date:14Jun2019

What are the objectives of Turkey’s Afrian outreach?  This article argues even Erdogan may not be sure of the answer:

A right-sized assessment of Turkish ambitions and its influence in the Horn of Africa requires zoom, medium, and wide-angle lenses. The Horn may not be a first-tier foreign policy issue in Ankara—a fact that, when coupled with Turkey’s political introversion and a surge of interest from Gulf adversaries, could diminish Ankara’s comparative edge in the region, at least in the near term. Turkey’s political and economic investments in the Horn should not be underestimated, nor should its continuing presence there, given the larger geopolitical context. But for the moment, Turkey is in search of itself—at home and abroad.