"...For Erdogan, Islam has been a foundation on which to build ties. “The Muslims of Africa see us as the bastion of the Islamic faith and have high expectations of Turkey,” Cevik explained. “We cannot let them down. We have to help them develop their system of educating Muslim clergy who will not only serve the people but also teach the people the true Islam in its purest form.” In its outreach, Turkey has promoted Islamist causes in countries ranging from the Central African Republic (which is majority-Christian) to Sudan (whose leader Erdogan embraced despite a genocide indictment) to Chad (where the Turkish ambassador suggested that al-Qaeda were not terrorists)..."