Sooth Africae–Turkey relations

Sooth Africae – Turkey relations refers tae the current an historical relations atween the Republic o Sooth Africae an the Republic o Turkey. Formal diplomatic relations wur established at consular level in 1991 an consulates-general wur opened in Istanbul an Johannesburg respectively. Baith consulates wur closed follaein the upgrading o relations tae ambassadorial level in October 1992. Sooth Africae haes an embassy in Ankara. Turkey haes an embassy in Pretoria. Frae 1998, Turkey haes maintained a Consulate General in Cape Toun wi jurisdiction ower the Wastren, Northren an Eastren Cape Provinces. The post is filled bi the current incumbent in an honorary capaceety, Adv Glenn Babb.

Historical relations

The forerunner tae Turkey, the Ottoman Empire, established relations wi colonial Sooth Africae, which wis then pairt o the Breetish Empire, in 1861 wi the appyntment o a Mr. de Roubaix tae Istanbul. A Mr. Bettelheim wis sent frae the Ottoman Empire tae Cape Toun in 1889. Bettelheim remained in the post o consul tae Sooth Africae until 1896. The Ottomans awso maintained consulates in Durban and Johannesburg. Relations atween the Ottoman Empire and South Africa wur maintained until the ootbreak of World War I, when the Ottomans entered the war on the side o the German Empire, whereas the Union o Sooth Africae entered alangside the Breetish. Prior tae the ootbreak o the war, a new consular arrived in Cape Toun, Mehmet Remzi Bey. He wis interned durin the war bi Breetish authorities an died in 1916. He wis buried in Johannesburg.

Releegious relations

In 1863, a qadi, or Islamic judge, wis sent bi the Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz tae teach the Muslim population in Cape Toun. The judge wis Abu Bakr Effendi an he wis creditit wi introducing the fez for men, as weel as reinstatin the hijab for weemen. Mair importantly, besides his role as teacher he awso published the Arabic Afrikaans "Uiteensetting van die godsdiens" ("Bayan ad-Din", or "The Exposition of the Religion") in 1877. He married a Breetish woman an died in Sooth Africae in 1880.

Turkey an the apartheid govrenment

Turkey stood in consistent opposition tae the white minority govrenment in Sooth Africae. It did nae maintain ony teep o relations until negotiations began atween the African Naitional Congress an the govrenment touards democratic elections. Turkey an aw promotit the unthirldom o Namibie, which wis unner the occupation o Sooth Africae frae Warld War I until October 1990.

Post-apartheid relations

Sooth Africae an Turkey normalised relations follaein the democratic elections o 1994 in Sooth Africae. The Govrenment o Sooth Africae maintained a seemilar poseetion on Kurdish naitionalism as the Turkish Republic.

Sources

• Aydin, Ali Kemal (Mairch–Mey 2003), "Turkey and South Africa: Towards the Second Decade" (PDF), Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs, 8 (1): 1–5, archived frae the original (PDF) on 28 September 2010, retrieved 19 Januar 2020
• Orakçı, Serhat (October 2007), A Historical Analysis of the Emerging Links between the Ottoman Empire and South Africa between 1861-1923 (PDF), University of Johannesburg, archived frae the original (PDF) on 31 August 2011 Archived 2011-08-31 at the Wayback Machine

Freemit airtins

• South African embassy in Ankara
• Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with South Africa