This file photo taken in Ankara on March 5, 2021, shows an Anka Drone, unmanned aerial military vehicle developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara. PHOTO: Adem ALTAN / AFP
Armed with battle-tested drones, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been deepening defence ties with African countries ahead of a major gathering of the continent’s leaders in Istanbul.
The two-day Turkey-Africa partnership summit starting Friday comes fast on the heels of a top-level business forum in October that focused on investment and trade.
The next phase of this fast-blossoming relationship is security, experts say, with a host of African leaders looking to buy up military hardware at cheaper prices and with fewer strings attached.
Leaders and top ministers from 39 countries — including 13 presidents — have confirmed attendance, with Erdogan set to make a speech on Saturday.
Ankara already has a military base in Somalia, and Morocco and Tunisia reportedly took their first delivery of Turkish combat drones in September.
Angola became the latest to express an interest in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during Erdogan’s first visit to the southern African country in October.
Turkey in August also signed a military cooperation pledge with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has been embroiled in a war with Tigrayan rebels for the past year.
“The most important sector is the defence sector because this is a new asset. Turkey has pushed this sector a lot, especially drones,” Federico Donelli, an international relations researcher at the University of Genoa, told AFP.
– ‘Everyone asks about UAVs’ –
Russia has been the dominant player on the African arms market, accounting for 49 percent of the continent’s imports between 2015 and 2019, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
But interest in Turkish weaponry is peaking.
This file photo taken in Ankara on March 5, 2021 shows an Anka Drone, an unmanned aerial military vehicle developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara. PHOTO: Adem ALTAN / AFP
The TB2 Bayraktar model is in high demand after it was credited with swinging the fate of conflicts in Libya and Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the past few years.
The drones are made by the private Baykar company, run by one of Erdogan’s sons-in-law.
“Everywhere I go in Africa, everyone asks about UAVs,” Erdogan boasted after a visit to Angola, Nigeria and Togo in October.
Some of the closest scrutiny has focused on Turkey’s ties with Ethiopia, where a brutal conflict has killed thousands, displaced more than two million and driven hundreds of thousands into famine-like conditions, according to UN estimates.
A Western source said Turkey sent an undisclosed number of combat drones in support of Abiy’s campaign earlier this year, but that Ankara has since responded to international pressure and halted the sales.
“Ethiopia can buy these drones from whoever they want,” Turkey’s foreign ministry spokesman said in October, neither confirming or denying the sales.
– Soaring sales –
Official Turkish data does not break down the details of military sales to individual countries, only giving the total sales amount for each month.
These have soared spectacularly in the past year.
Turkish defence and aviation exports to Ethiopia rose to $94.6 million between January and November from around $235,000 in the same period last year, according to figures published by the Turkish Exporters Assembly.
Sales to Angola, Chad and Morocco experienced similar jumps.
Turkey’s drones first made international headlines after Ankara signed two deals with the UN-recognised Libyan government covering maritime and security in 2019.
It then swarmed the conflict zone with drones, stalling an advance by rebel eastern forces backed by Turkey’s regional rivals and paving the way for a truce.
Turkey cemented its drones’ reputation last year by helping Azerbaijan recapture most of the land it lost to separatist ethnic Armenian forces in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh nearly three decades ago.
“Now Turkey with drones has more cards to play when they have to bargain with other countries,” researcher Donelli said.
“This is a very good bargaining chip for Turkey.”
– Growing network –
The head of Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board — the NGO that hosted the October forum in Istanbul — insisted the growing relationship was not just about weapons.
“We care about the defence sector and our relations with Africa,” the board’s head Nail Olpak told AFP.
“But I would like to emphasise that if we see the defence sector only as weapons, rockets, guns, tanks and rifles, it would be wrong.”
He highlighted Turkish mine-clearing vehicles in Togo, which qualify as defence industry sales.
Donelli agreed, referring to Togo’s plans to improve its army with the support of Turkey through training and armoured vehicles, weapons and other kinds of equipment.
Turkey has reportedly set up a web of 37 military offices across Africa in all, in line with Erdogan’s affirmed goal of tripling the annual trade volume with the continent to $75 billion in the coming years.
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<p>Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, welcomed Senator Abdul Ningi back to the Senate on Tuesday, urging reconciliation and a forward focus after the Bauchi Central Senator resumed following a three-month suspension. Senator Ningi had been suspended in March due to allegations he made about the 2024 budget during a BBC Hausa interview, in which he claimed […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.naijanews.com/2024/06/04/akpabio-issues-advice-to-ningi-upon-resumption-from-suspension/">Akpabio Issues Advice To Ningi Upon Resumption From Suspension</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.naijanews.com">Naija News</a>.</p>
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-tim-hortons-maple-leaf-logo-in-huntsville-ontario.jpg?id=56227630&width=1200&height=600&coordinates=0%2C12%2C0%2C12"/><br/><br/><p> As a <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-trump-trudeau-tariffs" target="_blank">potential trade war between Canada and the United States</a> looms, many Canadians are flexing their buying power to <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/made-in-canada-grocery-items" target="_blank">support homegrown businesses</a> while steering clear of American brands.
</p><p> Luckily, coffee is one thing most people don't have to think twice about. After all, Tim Hortons has thousands of locations across the country and proudly slaps maple leaves on all its branding.
</p><p> But despite it being embedded into our cultural identity, Tim Hortons might not be as Canadian as you think.
</p><p> The chain started as a small donut shop founded by an Ontario-born hockey player over 60 years ago, but its ownership evolution and current operations tell a more complicated story.</p><p>
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/tim-hortons/" target="_blank">Forbes</a> describes Tim Hortons as a "North American restaurant chain" with more than 5,700 system-wide restaurants in Canada, the United States and worldwide. For context, there are 659 Tim Hortons restaurants in the United States, <a href="https://www.scrapehero.com/location-reports/Tim%20Hortons-USA/">according to data service provider ScrapeHero</a>, and over 4,000 in Canada.
</p><p> So yes, the brand's footprint is undeniably largest in Canada. But who's calling the shots — and where are the profits going?
</p><h2>Who really owns Tim Hortons?</h2><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNGO-F3pRti/" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNGO-F3pRti/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a>
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</blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p> For most of the past six decades, Tim Hortons has been a Canadian company headquartered in Ontario and traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
</p><p> Over the years, the coffee franchise has changed hands. <a href="https://www.wendys.com/en-ca/wendys-story">Wendy's bought it in 1995</a> before divesting in 2006.</p><p> In 2014, Tim Hortons merged with Burger King to form a new parent company: <a href="https://www.rbi.com/English/brands/default.aspx" target="_blank">Restaurant Brands International (RBI)</a>. The deal was backed by 3G Capital, a Brazilian-American investment firm, which took a 51% majority stake, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28939538">according to BBC News</a>. Tim Hortons' existing shareholders kept 22%, while Burger King's got 27%.
</p><p> As part of the merger, Burger King's CEO, Daniel Schwartz, <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20141212005684/en/Restaurant-Brands-International-Announces-Successful-Completion-of-Tim-Hortons-and-Burger-King-Transaction">took over as CEO of RBI,</a> while Tim Hortons' then-CEO Marc Caira moved into a vice-chairman role. The newly formed RBI was headquartered in Oakville, Ontario, and began trading on both the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.
</p><p> Fast forward to today, and RBI has become a global fast-food powerhouse, also controlling chains like Popeyes and Firehouse Subs. The company's headquarters are in Toronto, but 3G Capital remains the biggest player with <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-3g-capital-selling-3-billion-shares-in-tim-hortons-owner/">a 32% stake</a>, meaning major decisions are influenced from beyond Canada's borders.</p><p> As for its staple product, Tim Hortons sources its coffee from small farmers in growing regions like Colombia and Guatemala, according to its <a href="https://www.timhortons.com/our-coffee-story" target="_blank">website</a>. But that's one thing "buy Canadian" advocates can't hold against them — after all, coffee is not generally grown in Canada.</p><h2>What Tim Hortons had to say</h2><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DFqd71Zp3Px/?img_index=1" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DFqd71Zp3Px/?img_index=1" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">See on Instagram</a>
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</blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p> MTL Blog reached out to Tim Hortons and RBI for clarification on the company's current ownership and operations. A Tim Hortons spokesperson responded, emphasizing the brand's Canadian identity.</p><p> "There's been some debate about what makes a company truly Canadian, so let's set the record straight — Tim Hortons is Canadian. Period. We wear the maple leaf proudly, and our roots, investments, and impact across this country are undeniable."
</p><p> They highlighted several key points to make their case:
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<li><strong>Corporate headquarters</strong> — Tim Hortons' main office is in downtown Toronto, employing over 400 Canadians.</li>
<li><span></span><strong>Canadian operations</strong> — The flagship coffee roastery is in Ancaster, Ontario, with over $150 million invested in five large distribution centres and three manufacturing plants across the country.</li>
<li><span></span><strong>Franchise ownership</strong> — Approximately 1,500 Canadian small business owners operate the over 4,000 Tim Hortons locations in Canada, employing over 100,000 people.</li>
<li><strong>Community investment</strong> — In 2024, the company raised $44.1 million for charitable causes in Canada, including Smile Cookie, Camp Day and the Special Olympics Donut campaign.</li>
</ul><p>"Yes, we're part of Restaurant Brands International (RBI), a global company, but RBI has a global office in Canada, by choice, and its foundation is built on the success and legacy of Tim Hortons," the representative told us.<br/></p><h2>Canadian enough?</h2><p> If a Canadian beer company brews its product here but packages it in the United States, is it still Canadian? Most people would argue that it is. But what about a coffee chain that was founded in Canada, still operates here, yet is largely controlled by a foreign investment firm?
</p><p>According to Karl Moore, an associate professor of strategy and organization at McGill University, the reality is simple. </p><p>"If you're owned by Americans, you're no longer Canadian in the way that you were before. There is a change, and it's a fact," Moore said in an interview with MTL Blog.</p><p>But ownership is just one piece of the puzzle. Moore, who also hosts a <a href="https://www.newstalk1010.com/shows/the-ceo-series.html" target="_blank">weekly radio show interviewing some of the world's top CEOs</a>, argues that what truly defines a company's nationality isn't just where its headquarters are — it's who's making the decisions.</p><p>"You might have foreign owners, so the profits may be going out of the country, but at one level, it doesn't really matter that much," he explained. "It's where the decision-making is made and who makes the decisions that is the central concern."</p><p>As a result, Tim Hortons' branding could shift as its ownership influences evolve.<br/></p><p>"The positioning is Canadian in Canada and other parts of the world, but that may not be as useful in the U.S. That may evolve over time as they open more stores," Moore notes. </p><p>At the moment, Tim Hortons still <em>feels</em> Canadian. Its history is wrapped in maple leaves and hockey sticks, many of its franchises are run by local owners, and its presence is woven into Canadian daily life. But behind the scenes, things are not so red and white. </p><p> Whether that makes it truly Canadian depends on what you think matters more — the Timbit in your hand or the boardroom pulling the strings.</p><em>This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.</em>
