Martin McCauley writes: Turkish President Abdullah Gul has just completed a visit to Kenya and Tanzania. The President thus becomes the first Turkish head of state to visit these sub-Saharan states. Kenya and Turkey signed an agreement on civil aviation and health care. Turkish Airlines has begun direct flights between Istanbul and Nairobi.

In Tanzania, Gul pointed out that all but two African states had supported Turkey’s candidature for a non-permanent seat for 2009 and 2010 in the UN Security Council. The Republic of Turkey, he said,  will be the ‘voice of Africa in the UN. It will support Africa on all issues’.

Gul mentioned that over 60 per cent of the issues which come before the UN Security Council relate to Africa.

The President’s tour is a continuation of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) policy, launched in 2005, of devoting much more attention to Africa. Turkish businessmen are active in promoting investment in Africa and various initiatives have been launched.

Observers are waiting to see if Turkey will follow the US lead in the Security Council. The signs are that it will adopt an independent stance. There are two key issues which will soon occupy the Council: Somalia and Sudan.

Will Turkey continue to support the UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia in its efforts to promote the political, economic and social development of that country?

The other thorny issue is the matter of President Umar al-Bashir of Sudan. In July 2008 the International Criminal Court accused al-Bashir of genocide in the Darfur region. The court may be close to issuing an arrest warrant for the President.

Turkey’s influence is strengthened by the fact that the UN Security Council can delay the charges by up to a year and afterwards indefinitely. Sudan’s Vice-President Ali Osman Taha met Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during an official visit to Ankara early this month. He asked for Turkey to block moves to indict President al-Bashir. Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, after meeting the Ethiopian foreign minister, said that the Sudanese President’s participation was needed to reach a solution to the Darfur problem. Al-Bashir visited Turkey twice in 2008.

The Arab League and the African Union have asked the Security Council to suspend the indictment against al-Bashir. China and Russia also take this view but the United States and its allies oppose it.

Turkey now presents itself as Africa’s friend. Will its promotion of African interests bring it into conflict with the United States and the European Union? It looks as if Ankara has decided that the Americans are now more concerned about domestic issues than foreign policy. It is seizing the imitative to establish a strong profile in Africa.