The long-anticipated Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum (TABEF 2025) officially opened today (Thursday, October 16) at the Istanbul Congress Centre, with high expectations and optimism among delegates.

Over the next two days, more than 4,000 business executives, policymakers, investors and government officials from Türkiye and across Africa will explore new partnerships, sign deals and chart a more integrated path forward.

Under the theme “Leveraging Türkiye-Africa Relations for Mutual Gains”, the forum aims not merely to showcase existing ties but to push them further with more strategic and sustained bonds.

High among the ambitions is raising the two-way trade volume to USD 75 billion in the years ahead, from its current level of approximately USD 32.8 billion in 2024.

Over its two decades of expansion, Türkiye-Africa trade has already grown more than sixfold.

The forum is being co-hosted by Türkiye’s Ministry of Trade and the African Union and organised by DEİK (Türkiye’s Foreign Economic Relations Board).

Co-chairs of the forum are Türkiye's Trade Minister, Ömer Bolat; AU Commissioner, responsible for trade, tourism, minerals and industry, Francisca Tatchouop Belobe; and DEİK President, Nail Olpak.

Panels on food security, logistics and transport, energy and mining, infrastructure financing, pharmaceuticals, textile supply chains, and digital trade will run in parallel with B2B (business-to-business) matchmaking, thematic sector showcases, and an entrepreneurship dialogue especially focused on women.

In a symbolic gesture, the women’s leadership session will see participation from First Lady, Emine Erdoğan, underlining the forum’s commitment to inclusive growth.

For Türkiye, TABEF represents both the culmination of two decades of outreach and a launching pad for its next chapter in Africa.

Since Türkiye first articulated its Africa strategy in 2003, its engagement has steadily expanded, characterised by diplomatic presence, trade, investment, cultural diplomacy, and infrastructure projects.

Today, Türkiye has more than 44 embassies across African countries, up from just a dozen in the early 2000s. Turkish contractors have executed over 2,000 projects on the continent.

The forum is designed to accelerate that trajectory: Türkiye wants not just more trade, but more value addition, technology transfer, joint ventures, and regional hubs anchored in Africa.

The sectors prioritized include, agriculture, renewable energy, logistics, digital trade, and mining; areas where Türkiye brings comparative advantages, and where many African markets have unmet needs.

For African nations, the forum is not merely an opportunity for investment and trade, but also a chance to shape a more balanced relationship in a rapidly shifting global economy.

By deepening trade with Türkiye, African exporters hope to reduce overreliance on traditional markets. Türkiye’s ambition to source more from Africa, in agriculture, minerals, and raw materials, could open new export corridors.