A Changing Landscape: Turkey's Drone Diplomacy in Sub Saharan Africa

Turkey increasingly sees itself as mid-tier power capable of projecting influence from beyond its near periphery. This research examines the motivations for Turkey's overtures to sub-Saharan Africa within the broader context of its evolving foreign policy. It also explains how Turkey fulfills a growing role within the sub-African market with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, by examining case studies of Ethiopia and Nigeria, among others. Moreover, it explores the implications both domestic and within sub Saharan Africa that arise from Turkeys use of drones as a tool of its foreign policy. Many contemporary authors look at the role of Turkeys drone sales in the context of the last few years when Turkey initially exported drones. This thesis argues that Turkeys drone outreach continues the evolution of Turkeys foreign policy from at least the early 2010s, and the growing sub-Saharan African market provides Turkey with new opportunities to project influence while serving domestic economic and political interests. Finally, Turkeys rapid increase in drone sales also highlights how the security landscape of sub-Saharan Africa continues to shift. This change and Turkeys increased involvement in the region contribute to a potentially significant, though still nascent, impact on the interests and policy of the United States across the region.