Abdullah Bozkurt/Stockholm
Turkish intelligence has established a significant presence in the landlocked nation of Niger, a strategic link between North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, as part of its global clandestine operations to advance the political objectives of Turkey’s Islamist government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The multifaceted goals pursued under the coordination of the Turkish intelligence agency (Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı, MIT) include creating bargaining leverage for the Erdogan government in relations with Europe and the US, projecting power in both the North African and Sub-Saharan regions, developing assets within terrorist, criminal and migrant networks operating in the strategic crossroads of Niger, assisting Turkish businesses in securing trade and economic benefits as well as mineral rights such as gold, oil and uranium, and promoting the sale of Turkish defense and military products.
It is no surprise that a recent report drafted by MIT identifies Niger as a “strategic investment” for Turkey, aimed at reviving what Turkish intelligence refers to as the heritage of “Osmanlı Türkiyesi” [Ottoman Turkey] in North Africa.
“Throughout history, the Ottoman Empire, which established strong ties with the African continent, had a strategic and cultural influence in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Niger region. This presence was shaped through its direct control of areas north of the Sahara Desert, such as Tripolitania [Libya], Algeria and Tunisia,” stated a report prepared in November 2024 by MIT’s academic branch.
The report pointed to Niger as a “strategic partner” in revitalizing the Ottoman heritage in the region and identified energy, defense, trade, education and cultural collaboration as valuable tools for achieving this goal.
This ambitious objective is a key driver of Turkey’s foreign policy toward Niger, a country that has become an anti-Western stronghold following a military coup in July 2023 amid economic and financial difficulty. Embracing the junta’s rise to power, Turkey deviated from its NATO allies in its approach to Niger, deepening its engagement with the country’s leaders and supplying resources requested by the junta.
The pivotal moment underscoring Niger’s importance in Turkey’s broader policy toward Africa occurred during a high-level visit in July 2024 by a Turkish delegation, which included intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, Defense Industry Agency President Haluk Görgün and Deputy Minister of Trade Özgür Volkan Ağar.
It is highly unusual for such a senior group of Turkish leaders to travel together and conduct a one-day visit to an African country, unless they are accompanying President Erdogan on a state visit. The visit indicated Turkey’s strong commitment and the high value it places on its relations with the rulers of Niger.
Several agreements, including some that remain secret, were signed during this visit to elevate the relationship between the Erdogan government and Niger’s junta rulers. Among these was an intelligence cooperation arrangement that was not made public.
It quickly became obvious that President Erdogan aims to use Niger as a springboard to expand his influence in Africa, often at the expense of NATO allies, particularly France, which has longstanding ties to Niger. The most significant public sign of Turkey’s new policy in Niger following the military coup came from President Erdogan himself, who praised the military rulers’ decision to halt uranium and gold exports to France.
Criticizing France for what he characterized as the oppression of African people over the years, Erdogan said Niger’s halting of exports was a response to the oppressive practices carried out by France. These practices, he noted, were not limited to Niger but also extended to Algeria, Rwanda and Mali.
The academic branch of Turkish intelligence agency MIT issued a report on Niger outlining a neo-Ottoman vision for the future:
MIT_Niger_report
Turkey’s growing rapport with Niger’s rulers paved the way for both public and private Turkish entities to establish an economic foothold in the country. The Turkish government’s General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) signed agreements with Niger’s Ministry of Mines to explore and develop three gold deposits. As part of the July 2024 agreement on oil and natural gas, Turkey also secured a pledge from Niger’s rulers to support Turkish firms in developing oil and gas fields in the country.
One area specifically targeted by Turkish intelligence in Niger is Agadez, located in the northern part of the country. Known for its strategic location and challenging desert environment, Agadez is seen by MIT as a place where Turkey can easily establish a presence, drawing on the Ottoman heritage dating back to the 14th-century Sultanate of Agadez. The Ottoman flag is still displayed in the region today, symbolizing the enduring historical connection.
MIT not only develops new assets within criminal and smuggling networks in the area to exert pressure on Europe from North Africa but also cultivates assets that could serve as proxies if needed by Turkey. President Erdogan personally visited the Agadez region during his 2013 trip to Niger to emphasize its strategic importance for Turkey.
Turkey’s military aid to Niger, which includes armed Bayraktar drones, the light attack and training plane Hürkuş-C and armored trucks, has provided Turkish intelligence with significant leverage to expand operations in the country under the guise of enhancing Niger’s counterterrorism capabilities. Ankara has set its sights on filling the void left by the departing forces of the US, France, Germany and Italy.
The Erdogan government also provides a lifeline to this landlocked country, which has faced sanctions from the US, Europe and members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in response to the military coup. Turkey’s national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, is one of the few international carriers still operating in Niger after the junta imposed restrictions on many airlines, including a total ban on French carriers.
Turkish intelligence not only uses its embassy in the Nigerien capital of Niamey as base of operations but also employs Turkish government agencies such as the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) to mask its operations.
The Turkish government’s Maarif Foundation — a conduit used by the Erdogan government for exporting political Islam overseas — has also been active in running multiple schools in Niger. Hundreds of students from Niger were given government scholarships and received education and training in Turkey before they were sent back to their home country.
The Turkish Religious Affairs Foundation (Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı, TDV), an organization associated with the government that possesses substantial assets and an annual budget surpassing a billion Turkish lira, is also active in Niger. The primary objective of the TDV is to propagate the political Islamist ideology of the Erdogan government beyond Turkey’s borders.
In parallel with Turkey’s actions in Libya and Azerbaijan, where Syrian fighters were sent to bolster the Erdogan government’s goals, MIT allegedly vetted some jihadist factions to bring support to Niger in order to protect Turkish interests. The Turkish contractor reportedly involved in repatriating foreign fighters to Niger is SADAT, short for Uluslararası Savunma Danışmanlık İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi, a for-profit company.
SADAT was founded by retired general Adnan Tanrıverdi and his associates on February 22, 2012. Tanrıverdi had previously served as the chief military aide to the Turkish president. Following his death in August 2024, the company is now run by his son, Ali Kamil Melih Tanrıverdi.
SADAT denied allegations of sending around 1,000 fighters to Niger, but Tanrıverdi was clear that SADAT aimed to enter countries where France had traditionally maintained influence. “For centuries, countries whose populations were exploited as slaves and whose surface and underground resources were plundered by Europe have shown significant interest in the services offered by SADAT Defense,” the elder Tanrıverdi said in an interview in May 2024.
He claimed that a secrecy clause prevented SADAT from revealing which countries it has been actively engaged with but denied any presence in Niger. However, he made clear that SADAT is ready to provide training to the Nigerien army and police if invited to do so. “We can provide strategic consultancy services to Niger’s defense and security structures. Let us train the Nigerien army and police and bring them up to international standards,” he added.
Not only state entities but also front NGOs, such as the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı, or IHH), which work on behalf of Turkish intelligence, have been running seven schools in Niger. The IHH has been known to have worked closely with MIT in the past and has been the subject of an al-Qaeda terrorism investigation.
