Turkey
Bilateral trade between Türkiye and Tanzania reached USD 284 million in 2024, of which USD 217 million represented Turkish exports to Tanzania.[2]
Türkiye has emerged as a strategic partner for Tanzania across trade, aviation, education and infrastructure, anchored by a diplomatic footprint that dates to the opening of the Turkish Embassy in Dar es Salaam in October 1979.[2]
Bilateral engagement accelerated after the Embassy was reopened on May 18, 2009, and gained further momentum through reciprocal high-level visits, direct air links and cooperation agreements spanning education, investment and diaspora affairs.[2]
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Türkiye at a Glance
Türkiye is the 17th largest economy in the world with a GDP of USD 1.32 trillion as of 2024.[6]
The country had a population of 85.5 million in 2024, with GDP per capita of USD 15,461 and life expectancy at birth of 78.5 years.[6]
Türkiye is a member of the OECD and the G20 and an increasingly important donor of official development assistance.[6]
Real GDP growth averaged 5.4% between 2002 and 2022, doubling income per capita in real terms, and the economy expanded 3.2% in 2024 with growth expected at 3.1% in 2025.[6]
Diplomatic Relations with Tanzania
The Turkish Embassy in Dar es Salaam was opened in October 1979 but later closed in 1984 due to budgetary considerations, before being reopened on May 18, 2009.[2]
The Tanzanian Embassy in Ankara began its activities in February 2017, cementing reciprocal diplomatic representation between the two capitals.[2]
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Tanzania on January 22-23, 2017 as part of his East Africa tour, and ten agreements were signed on the occasion of the visit.[2]
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan paid an official visit to Türkiye between April 18-21, 2024, during which six agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed in the fields of education, investment, diaspora and archives.[2]
Trade and Economic Relations
Trade volume between Türkiye and Tanzania was recorded at USD 284 million in 2024, of which USD 217 million was Turkish exports.[2]
Leading items in Türkiye's exports to Tanzania are machinery and heavy industry products, reflecting Turkish industrial capabilities that align with Tanzania's ongoing infrastructure and manufacturing expansion.[2]
Tobacco, oil seeds and fruits, and aquatic products constitute the main items in Türkiye's imports from Tanzania, positioning agricultural and fisheries value chains at the core of Tanzania's export profile to the Turkish market.[2]
The amount of investment by Turkish business people in Tanzania stands at around USD 40 million, spanning multiple productive sectors.[2]
Air Connectivity Between Türkiye and Tanzania
The reopening of the Turkish Embassy in Dar es Salaam in 2009 and the start of direct flights by Turkish Airlines had a positive impact on bilateral trade volume.[2]
Turkish Airlines launched direct services between Istanbul and Dar es Salaam on June 14, 2010, opening a strategic corridor between Türkiye and Tanzania's commercial capital.[2]
The Istanbul to Kilimanjaro route was inaugurated on December 4, 2012, extending air connectivity to northern Tanzania and its tourism gateway.[2]
These direct links continue to serve as an enabler of business travel, tourism inflows and cargo exchanges between the two countries.
Education and People-to-People Ties
Within the scope of Türkiye Scholarships, 394 Tanzanian students were granted higher education scholarships between 2000 and 2024.[2]
The scholarship programme has built a growing pool of Tanzanian alumni with academic and professional exposure to Türkiye, strengthening long-term commercial and cultural links.
Education, investment, diaspora and archives were formalised as cooperation pillars through the six agreements and memoranda of understanding signed during the April 2024 visit of President Samia Suluhu Hassan to Türkiye.[2]
Bilateral Policy Framework
Ten agreements were signed on the occasion of President Erdoğan's visit to Tanzania in January 2017, establishing a broad legal and institutional platform for cooperation.[2]
A further six agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed during President Samia Suluhu Hassan's April 2024 visit to Türkiye, deepening the framework in education, investment, diaspora and archives.[2]
This layered set of instruments provides a stable policy backdrop for Turkish investors and Tanzanian counterparts to structure joint ventures, technology transfers and long-term commercial partnerships.
Investment Opportunities
The current stock of Turkish investment in Tanzania of around USD 40 million indicates substantial headroom for expansion given Türkiye's status as the 17th largest economy in the world with GDP of USD 1.32 trillion.[2][6]
Machinery and heavy industry products dominate Turkish exports to Tanzania, pointing to opportunities in local assembly, distribution partnerships and after-sales services for industrial equipment supplied from Türkiye.[2]
Tanzania's export basket to Türkiye of tobacco, oil seeds and fruits, and aquatic products signals room to scale agro-processing, value-added agriculture and fisheries ventures aimed at the Turkish market.[2]
Direct Turkish Airlines connectivity from Istanbul to Dar es Salaam since June 14, 2010 and to Kilimanjaro since December 4, 2012 underpins opportunities in inbound tourism, hospitality development and travel services targeting Turkish and connecting passengers.[2]
The bilateral trade volume of USD 284 million recorded in 2024, combined with sixteen agreements signed across the 2017 and 2024 state visits, provides a supportive framework for joint ventures in transport, construction, education services and manufacturing.[2]
Last Update: July 2026
References
- Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Relations between Türkiye and Tanzania / Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- https://www.wipo.int/edocs/statistics-country-profile/en/tr.pdf
- http://www.ab.gov.tr/files/5%20Ekim/2015_turkey_report.pdf
- Spotlighting The World Factbook as We Bid a Fond Farewell - CIA
- Turkey Overview: Development news, research, data | World Bank
