Old Friends, New Stake

By Henok Tadele HAILE

Addis Ababa, February 17, 2026 (ENA)—Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will soon touch down in Addis Ababa, a visit arriving at a moment when both nations are redefining their regional and global roles. The trip represents the renewal of a historic friendship and signals the growing importance of cooperation between two countries whose shared ambitions increasingly intersect across trade, security, and continental influence.

The arrival of Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Addis Ababa comes with symbolism that reaches far beyond diplomatic protocol.

A few years ago, at one of Ethiopia’s most delicate moments, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed travelled to Türkiye and was received with extraordinary dignity and warmth. The ceremonial welcome, marked by tradition and honor, reflected a relationship built on trust rather than convenience. As President Erdoğan prepares to step onto Ethiopian soil, there is a strong sense of historical balance, as if two long standing partners are continuing a conversation that has lasted generations.

Ethiopia has often stood as one of Türkiye’s most reliable and consistent friends in Africa. This visit carries the feeling of reconnecting with a trusted ally whose stability, ambition, and influence continue to grow across the continent.

A Friendship Rooted in Deep History

The connection between Türkiye and Ethiopia stretches back long before modern diplomacy. Trade and cultural exchanges between the Horn of Africa and Anatolia existed through ancient maritime routes linking the Red Sea to Mediterranean markets. Through centuries, interaction continued during imperial periods and gradually transformed into formal diplomatic relations that have remained remarkably consistent.

The transition from historic interaction to formal modern diplomacy began in 1896, when delegations were exchanged between Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II and Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II, marking the first structured diplomatic contact between the two states. Relations deepened further with the opening of the Ottoman Consulate in Harar in 1912. The modern diplomatic foundation was firmly established when the Republic of Türkiye opened its first embassy in Sub Saharan Africa in Addis Ababa in 1926, followed by Ethiopia opening its embassy in Ankara in 1933. These milestones laid the institutional groundwork for a relationship that has endured political transitions and continues to expand in scope and strategic importance.

Modern ties grew stronger during the twentieth century through embassies, trade cooperation, and development partnerships. Over time, these relations have matured into one of the most stable and dependable partnerships linking Africa and Eurasia.

Ethiopia’s Economic Rise and a Future Taking Shape

Ethiopia is undergoing one of the fastest economic transformations on the African continent. Massive infrastructure expansion, industrial development, and urban modernization are reshaping the country’s economic landscape at remarkable speed. The country is already among Africa’s largest economies, and current growth momentum suggests a clear path toward becoming the continent’s leading economic powerhouse within the coming decade.

Such rapid transformation naturally attracts strategic partners who recognize long term opportunity. Türkiye, with its diversified industrial base and advanced manufacturing capabilities, stands in a strong position to grow alongside Ethiopia’s development journey.

Two Nations Creating a Market of Enormous Potential

Demographic strength adds another dimension to this partnership. Türkiye’s population of more than eighty five million and Ethiopia’s population exceeding one hundred thirty million create a combined market that offers extraordinary production and consumption capacity. Cooperation between the two nations has the potential to stimulate trade, manufacturing, and technology development that could serve markets across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Working through Ethiopia also provides Türkiye a natural gateway into Africa’s rapidly expanding economic networks, especially as continental trade integration continues to accelerate.

Aviation and Continental Connectivity

Africa’s commercial connectivity still relies heavily on aviation due to limited ground transportation links. Ethiopian Airlines has built one of the most extensive air networks across Africa, connecting major business and political capitals with remarkable efficiency.

Ethiopia’s aviation leadership offers Türkiye valuable access to African markets and logistics channels. Cooperation between Addis Ababa and Istanbul as major global aviation hubs creates strong potential for knowledge exchange, joint logistics development, and expanded trade routes linking continents.

Infrastructure Dreams and Construction Opportunities

Ethiopia’s development strategy over the next decade includes major projects in transportation, energy, and urban housing. New railway corridors, hydroelectric dams, airports, and large scale housing developments are expected to transform both economic productivity and living standards.

Turkish construction firms have gained global recognition for technical expertise, speed, and efficiency in delivering complex infrastructure. Expanded cooperation in this sector could open opportunities worth billions of dollars while accelerating Ethiopia’s modernization goals.

Turning Ethiopia’s Iron and Steel Vision into Reality

Türkiye is recognized as a major global player in iron and steel production, possessing advanced industrial knowledge and strong manufacturing capacity. Ethiopia, meanwhile, holds enormous deposits of iron ore and possesses the raw potential to establish a competitive domestic steel industry.

Collaboration between Turkish industrial expertise and Ethiopia’s natural resources could transform Ethiopia’s long standing ambition of building a strong iron and steel sector into a tangible reality. Such development would not only support Ethiopia’s infrastructure boom but also position the country as a regional manufacturing center, creating employment and strengthening industrial independence.

Mining, Energy, and Industrial Expansion

Beyond iron and steel, Ethiopia holds significant reserves of gold, natural gas, and rare earth minerals that are becoming increasingly valuable in modern technology and renewable energy production. Türkiye’s experience in mining extraction and processing offers strong opportunities for partnership that could unlock Ethiopia’s resource potential while strengthening industrial supply chains for both nations.

Investment Confidence and Growing Economic Trust

Türkiye has already established itself as one of the most significant foreign investors in Ethiopia. Turkish companies operate across manufacturing, textiles, construction, and service sectors, employing tens of thousands of Ethiopian workers and contributing to industrial growth.

Ethiopia’s strong economic expansion and increasing industrial diversification suggest that investment opportunities will continue to grow. Long term cooperation in manufacturing and industry could further deepen economic ties and create mutual prosperity.

Security, Maritime Stability, and Regional Balance

Ethiopia’s pursuit of reliable maritime access carries implications beyond trade. Strengthened engagement in Red Sea security could contribute to stability along one of the world’s most important maritime trade corridors. Historically, Ethiopia’s naval presence helped maintain stability in parts of the southern Red Sea, and renewed engagement could reinforce regional maritime security.

Such stability benefits international shipping, trade safety, and economic reliability, outcomes that align closely with Türkiye’s strategic interests as a major trading nation.

Diplomatic Influence and Continental Reach

Ethiopia holds unique political importance as host of the African Union, where major continental policies and diplomatic initiatives are shaped. Partnerships with Ethiopia naturally extend influence across Africa’s political and economic landscape, opening broader cooperation opportunities for Türkiye throughout the continent.

Türkiye’s position within the G20 further strengthens the strategic weight of this relationship, linking African growth with global economic leadership.

A Visit That Signals a Strategic Future

President Erdoğan’s visit arrives at a moment when both countries are expanding their regional and global influence. The visit is expected to deepen economic partnerships, strengthen diplomatic coordination, and create new pathways for industrial and technological cooperation.

More importantly, it reinforces the idea that relations between Türkiye and Ethiopia are built on reliability, historical trust, and shared ambition. As Ethiopia accelerates its rise and Türkiye expands its global economic presence, cooperation between the two nations carries the promise of reshaping trade, industry, and regional stability.

This visit feels less like the beginning of a new chapter and more like the continuation of a long story, one where two nations separated by geography continue to discover how closely their futures can align.