Geopolitical and Geostrategic Elements Specific to Africa and the Middle East

Mackinder Theory: This theory claims that controlling land mass between Germany and Central Siberia is the key to controlling world politics.

The concept of the Middle East was first stated in 1902 by Alfred Thayer Mahan, a historian and strategist of the American Navy, in his article entitled “The Persian Gulf and international relations”.

HZ. Omar, the 3. Caliph of Islam, conquered Jerusalem in 638 by defeating Christian Byzantium.

The opening of Suez Canal connecting the Mediterranean first to the Red Sea and then to the oceans in 1869 has become the main element of Middle East geopolitics.

Today, there are many factors determining the geopolitics of the Middle East. Among these, energy security, terrorism, strategic straits and canals, axis of religion and sects are the main elements.

Today energy security is based on four key elements: supply security, source and supplier diversity, security of transport routes and price stability.

In terms of natural gas, 47.4% of the world’s total 193,5 trillion m3 reserves are located in the Middle East countries (BP, 2017,15).

Today, more than 25% of the world’s oil trade passes through it (EIA,2017,2).

Since then, it is seen that Africa’s geopolitical importance has undergone a
change and experiences in four different phases:

• First stage of importance of ports and coastal colonies,
• The second phase, where controlled soil size and mines are important and colonialism is spreading into the continent.,
• In the third phase of the Cold War, it was seen as an area of ideological conflict and reconciliation
• The fourth phase in which energy resources are important and are subject to global competition, especially in the USA and China. 

Portugal and Spain managed to become an active force on the African coast in the first period of colonialism activities, and with the advantages of this situation, in the 16th century, they were among the greatest powers of the century.

In this period, when almost all African continent was shared, the geopolitical importance of the continent in terms of global actors stemmed from four different dimensions.
• As being vacant land: the African continent was seen as a raw material store for the growing and strengthening European economies, and emerged as a weak and vacant continent with all the resources Europeans need.
• Hosting strategic waterways: the African continent turned into a critical geography in which it was regarded as an inevitable necessity to have a say on the shores by European states that wanted to carry out trade safely on maritime trade routes. The Suez Canal, which was opened in Egypt in 1865 in particular, caused to strengthen this perception towards the continent. With the opening of the canal, Egypt, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have become the most
strategic region in the world. This new route was able to obtain a huge share of World Trade due to the advantages of new route.

• Perception of power symbol: The third feature that increases the geopolitical
importance of the continent is the fact that international actors consider the size of their colonies on the continent as a symbol of having a say in the global power struggle. Therefore, the African continent has been seen as the key to a global actor’s psychological superiority in the field of international politics in proportion to the size of the land ruled on this continent.
• Regarded as discharge area: The African continent is considered an empty area of conflict that Europeans will use to solve their problems without harming their own continent and their own people, and this perception has been effective in increasing the geopolitical importance of the continent.

At the beginning of the 2000s, African geopolitics began to gain more importance than ever before in global politics. In this period, three elements have emerged in the rise of the new geopolitics of Africa
• Energy resources: strategic resources such as precious minerals, mineral deposits and hydrocarbon reserves in various parts of the continent (especially oil and uranium deposits) have led Africa to take part in global energy strategies.
• Anti-terrorism strategy: Africa’s problematic political and social structure has been the basis for the formation of many terrorist organizations. It is also important that terrorist organizations cooperate with each other and that the fight against terrorist organizations on the continent has gained importance as terrorism exceeds national borders and causes international problems.
• International politics: The plans for the continent of the global powers that see each other as rivals have had a multidimensional impact on the value they have given Africa in their foreign policy.

Many organizations on the list of terrorist organizations prepared by the United States, the EU and the UN are located on the African continent. Some of the terrorist organizations of African origin or engaged in action in Africa are Ajnad Misr, Al-Itihad al-Islamiya, Al-Mouraboundun, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Shabbab, Ansar al-Sharia, Ansar Bait Al-Maqdis, Ansar Dine, Ansaru, armed Islamic group of Algeria, Boko Haram, Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Hizb ut-al-Shabbab, Ansar Bait Al-Maqdis, Ansar Dine, Ansaru, armed Islamic group of Tahrir, Jund Al-Khalifah Fi Ard Al-Jazayer, Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant, Movement for talking and Jihad in West Africa, Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.

Africa ranks third among Asia and America, with a surface area of 30 218 000 km².

One of the most important developments in international politics affecting the fate of Africa occurred in 1884. Since the second half of the 19th century, the race of colonialism has led to the acceleration of political tensions between
European states. A Congress hosted by Otto von Bismarck in Berlin in 1884 was held in order to find a solution to the strained relations between European countries. The states participating in the Berlin Congress adopted the rule of actual occupation in colonization. This led to Europe’s concern for its forces and trade. As a result of this concern, the importance of sea bases, ports and commercial centers has increased.

Today, with its proven natural gas reserves, Africa holds 7.6% of the world’s natural gas reserves.

African geopolitics, which has no significant importance in US foreign policy after the Cold War, started to gain importance with a rapid momentum in the 2000s. First of all, the first signs that China will rise rapidly and shake the position of the United States have started to be seen. At this point, the potential share
of Africa which is regarded both as a raw material supply area and as a market with a billion inhabitants in the continent in China’s rise caused the continent geopolitics to regain importance in U.S. strategic plans. Secondly, the United States has started to consider the African continent with the perspective of energy needs and the seamless supply of this. This situation has put Africa in a critical position for the United States. Another factor that caused African geopolitics to gain importance for the United States was the implementation of the anti-terror strategy for terrorist organizations and terrorist organizations hosted by the continent in US foreign policy. The US security strategy, which changed after Al-Qaeda’s attacks on the United States, foresees the fight against terrorism and terrorist organizations no matter where in the world they take action.

Africa has a vital role in resolving France’s survival concerns. For example, France derives 80 percent of its electricity production from nuclear energy, in which a large part of its uranium needs is supplied by “French Africa” countries such as Niger, Mali, Gabon and the Central African Republic

The Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership TS was established in 2005, which can be regarded as the continuation of the Pan Sahel Initiative. Since 2005, TSCTP has carried out a series of operations called “Operation Enduring
Freedom-Trans Sahara”. With these operations, the area under the responsibility of the PSI was expanded. Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria and Senegal were also included in the field of active military presence.

China, which is expected to continue this growth in the coming years, is likely to increase the need for raw materials in parallel with this situation and will be the world’s largest oil consumer by 2035.