Erdogan Set to Make Ethiopia Visit
Both state-owned and private Ethiopian outlets have greeted the visit with broadly favorable framing, underscoring deep historical bonds, expanding economic engagement, and Ankara's increasingly assertive diplomatic footprint across the region.
The trip — scheduled for Tuesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed — marks Erdogan's first visit to Ethiopia in over a decade.
State broadcaster Fana Broadcasting Corporation cast the visit as a new chapter in bilateral relations, with one headline dubbing the Turkish president "the architect of the new Türkiye." Independent outlet Addis Standard connected the visit to broader Horn of Africa tensions and anticipated the signing of multiple cooperation agreements already finalized at the official level. Meanwhile, Pulse of Africa — a pan-African digital platform launched last October by Abiy — reported that Türkiye is actively consolidating its presence across the Red Sea and Horn of Africa, with trade, infrastructure, and security topping the agenda.
At an event marking the centennial of bilateral ties, Türkiye's ambassador to Ethiopia, Berk Baran, described Erdogan's visit as "the elevation of already strong ties," adding: "Türkiye and Ethiopia already enjoy a strategic relationship in various aspects, including political, economic and social relations."
Consistent Political Ties and Dialogue
Analysts and researchers say the partnership has been defined by a rare brand of direct, unmediated diplomacy. "In this ambivalent global order, Türkiye and Ethiopia have built a very consistent open relationship without third-party mediation. This should be kept and strengthened," said Emre Yasin Kekec, an independent researcher based in Türkiye, speaking to media.
Experts note the relationship has endured even through moments of diverging national interests, rooted in a mutual appreciation of each other's geopolitical realities.
"I believe Türkiye understands Ethiopia's positions; we've seen this during the Nile dispute, we have seen this during its quest for sea access, and this stems from similarities of geographical context and statehood history," said Ibrahim Mulushewa, a researcher and think-tank director based in Addis Ababa, addressing a centennial panel.
Mulushewa argued that this shared lens has made substantive dialogue possible even when full alignment proved elusive. "Turkish understanding sometimes might not be on the same page, but at least both countries see the perspectives, and that very reason created dialogic and direct relations, which also made Türkiye succeed in mediating very sensitive regional matters like that of the Ethiopia-Somalia dispute, which was resolved through the historic Ankara declaration," he said.
The visit is widely expected to yield fresh cooperation agreements and reinforce Türkiye's expanding strategic role in one of Africa's most geopolitically consequential regions.
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