Namibia–Turkey relations

Namibia’s struggle for independence from South Africa led to extensive Turkish diplomatic efforts as the co-sponsor[1] from the Western Contact Group and founding member of the UN Council for Namibia, that called for Namibian independence.

Namibia — or known as South West Africa before independence — was the last African colony.[2] South West Africa had been a German colony that was granted to South Africa under a League of Nations mandate in 1920, following Germany’s defeat in World War I.[2] The mandate forbade South Africa from annexing South West Africa but South Africa continued its rule even after UN General Assembly voted[3] to revoke the League of Nations mandate on August 26, 1966.[2]

Turkey continued to advocate on behalf of Namibia’s independence but many countries balked[3] at supporting the country’s movement under Sam Nujoma that allied with the Soviet Union and started sending young men to the Soviet Union for training in preparation for guerrilla warfare.[2] Guerrilla warfare began 1966 but was marginal until Communist-led MPLA took over Angola in 1975.[4] Nevertheless, South Africa succeeded in driving off the guerillas.[4]

The diplomatic breakthrough came with the election[5] of Jimmy Carter, who came to support[6] the Western Contact Group and worked to negotiate peace in Namibia.[6] In 1978 South Africa and Western Contact Group created a plan for holding elections that would lead to Namibian independence in 1990.

• Trade volume between the two countries was 11.8 million USD in 2018 (Turkish exports/imports: 9.40/2.44 million USD).[1]

• Foreign relations of Namibia
• Foreign relations of Turkey

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• Chester, Edward W. Clash of Titans: Africa and U.S. Foreign Policy. Philadelphia, Pa.: Orbis Books, 1974. Clough, Michael. Free at Last? U.S. Policy toward Africa and the End of the Cold War. New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1992.
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• Engerman, David C., et al. Staging Growth: Modernization, Development, and the Global Cold War. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2003.
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• Herbst, Jeffrey. U.S. Economic Policy toward Africa. New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 2002.
• Karns, Margaret P. “Ad hoc Multilateral Diplomacy: The United States, the Contact Group, and Namibia.” International Organization 41, no. 1 (Winter 1987): pp. 93–123.
• Leys, Colin, and John S. Saul, eds. Namibia’s Liberation Struggle: The Two- Edged Sword. London: James Currey, 1995.
• Thornton, Richard C., ed. The Carter Years: Toward a New Global Order. New York: Paragon House, 1991.
• Vance, Cyrus R. Hard Choices: Critical Years in America’s Foreign Policy. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1983.