A Vision That Unites Continents: Türkiye’s Approach to Global Cooperation

One of DEIK’s flagship events, the “Türkiye-Afrika Iş ve Ekonomi Forumu (TABEF)” (Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum), is a major gathering held every two years and has now become a tradition. The 5th TABEF, which we held in Istanbul this October, became a platform that brought together continents with an impressive turnout. Nearly 2,000 businesspeople from various African countries traveled thousands of kilometers to our country as guests to discover new products and explore new markets. With their colorful traditional clothing, unique flavors, and distinctive cultural textures, they added a festive atmosphere to the event. In bilateral business meetings, many companies, large and small, eagerly sat down at the table to increase their business volume. The hope and smiles on their faces sent a powerful message to all of us: every contact meant a new door; every meeting meant a new collaboration. Seeing that many participants achieved concrete results from these meetings further motivated us. Because we know that those who walk toward a goal reach their destination much faster than those who run aimlessly. For this reason, we dedicated the cover of the 37th issue of our Business Diplomacy magazine to TABEF, and thus to Africa. In our comprehensive interview with Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines, we discussed in detail THY and Turkish Cargo’s strategic growth plans in Africa, as well as their role as a bridge for trade and diplomacy on the continent. Our special interview with the President of TIKA, in which we evaluated development projects in Africa and Türkiye’s cooperation steps in the region; the article by Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Aliy, President of the Yunus Emre Institute, sharing his cultural and educational activities; and our conversation with Zeliha Sağlam, Chair of the Board of Directors of the African Cultural House, on the cultural and social dynamics of the continent, add a unique depth to our issue. Islam Memiş’s analyses, which offer practical advice for individual inves tors, provide a different perspective on Africa’s economic opportunities. In addition, an article by Arzu Çekirge Paksoy, Founder of ARPR Com munication and Social Responsibility Consultant, explaining her socially beneficial approach, is among the valuable contributions to this issue. We are pleased to present the 37th issue of Business Diplomacy, pre pared with current content and rich dossier topics, for your benefit.