Cameroon and Turkey finalise major defence and economic cooperation accord

Acting on the direct orders of President Paul Biya, head of state and supreme commander of the Cameroonian armed forces, the minister delegate at the presidency in charge of defence, Joseph Beti Assomo, has taken a major step to strengthen Cameroon’s military capacity.

Cameroon and Turkey have officially signed a historic military and financial cooperation agreement in Ankara. The pact, initialled by Cameroonian defence minister Joseph Beti Assomo and his Turkish counterpart Yaşar Güler, marks a significant strategic shift in bilateral ties between the two nations.

Turkish vice-minister Musa Heybet also took part in the discussions. According to the official communiqué, these texts aim to reinforce mechanisms for financial and military collaboration and to deepen the principles of cooperation between Ankara and Yaoundé in areas of shared interest.

Beyond the signing ceremony, minister Beti Assomo paid an official visit to the Milli Savunma Üniversitesi (MSÜ), Turkey’s National Defence University, a benchmark institution for training military elites. Talks focused on three strategic axes: developing bilateral military cooperation, training Cameroonian armed forces personnel, and deepening strategic relations between the two countries.

This visit builds on a partnership that has already been well established. Turkey has been training Cameroonian soldiers at MSÜ institutions for several years. During Turkish minister Yaşar Güler’s visit to Yaoundé in May 2025, Joseph Beti Assomo publicly thanked Ankara for providing free training for Cameroonian cadets and non-commissioned officers at Turkish military academies.

The agreement signed on 3 June 2026 therefore consolidates and elevates this cooperation to a higher level, both financially and operationally. Cameroon is diversifying and strengthening its strategic alliances. After France, the United States and Israel, Turkey is now emerging as a key military partner for Yaoundé, with an approach based on training, financing and operational cooperation, comments Shance Lion.