CASSIS Fellow Dr Hüseyin I. Çiçek on Turkey's Africa policy Dr Hüseyin I. Çiçek examines Turkey's religious diplomacy in Africa in his article

Türkiye has significantly changed its foreign policy in the last two decades by increasingly focussing on religious diplomacy to expand its influence in Africa and the Muslim world, according to CASSIS Fellow Hüseyin I. Çiçek. Important institutions such as the Diyanet and TİKA are promoting projects in African countries, particularly through the construction of mosques and educational initiatives, in order to strengthen their religious presence and build long-term relationships with Muslim elites. Turkey is competing with other Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, positioning itself as a leading Islamic nation through its moderate interpretation of Islam. Despite these successes, Turkey's soft power strategy is being hampered by domestic political tensions and its declining international reputation since the Gezi protests in 2013.