Turkey has become a major player in Africa, with a particularly strong footprint in the Horn. While economic and energy interests’ matter, one sector now stands at the centre of Ankara’s regional activism: defence. Turkey’s expanding defence industry is tightly linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s domestic political strategy; generating revenue, bolstering legitimacy, and helping sustain his rule. Africa, in turn, has become a critical market for that growth…
Israel’s war of aggression on Gaza and the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran have elevated the Red Sea—and especially the Horn of Africa—from a peripheral arena to a central strategic theatre for Israel as well. Since October 7th, 2023, the Red Sea has emerged as a global focal point, with the Horn gaining renewed importance as a forward zone adjacent to the Houthi threat and critical maritime chokepoints. The war on Gaza showed how non-state actors can weaponize Red Sea shipping lanes, turning a localized conflict into a global economic and security crisis. The US- Israel war on Iran has reinforced this dynamic: as risks to the Strait of Hormuz push Gulf exports toward Red Sea routes, Bab al- Mandab and nearby Horn territories have become indispensable yet vulnerable arteries. For Israel, this shift is especially consequential. Securing maritime access, monitoring Iranian-linked activity, and cultivating partnerships in the Horn are no longer optional but essential components of its evolving security doctrine.
