French mobilization, fearing the victory of Turkish investment in Algeria

The French authorities insist on being keen every time to seize their share of the cake of their privileges in Algeria, and this keenness increases when they notice their Turkish rival, which is located more than ever in a country like Algeria, which is considered, from the perspective of Paris’s foreign policy, a special vital area In view of well-known historical considerations.
Immediately, one day after the visit of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz to Algeria, in anticipation that the two countries will soon begin negotiating to sign a bilateral preferential trade agreement, the French Embassy in Algeria spoke, in a tweet, about the meeting between Ali Aoun, Minister of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production, with the French Ambassador. In Algeria, Stefan Romatti.
The Turkish official attended as a guest of honor representing his country at the opening ceremony of the Algiers International Fair inaugurated by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, this week, as an indication of the strength of relations between Algeria and Ankara, as Algerian and Turkish officials are accustomed to participating in all major activities organized by the two countries. The Turkish presence in the exhibition was also notable, with the participation of no less than 51 Turkish companies and export institutions.
This rapprochement has created a state of uneasiness on the French side, which has come to view Turkey as a major competitor and a real threat to its interests in Algeria.
This concern was not just phrases repeated by political analysts, experts, and media people in Paris, but rather it was issued more than once. , in the words of French President, Emmanuel Macron, who often compares Turkish competition with Chinese, when he talks about his country’s interests in Algeria and in the African continent in general.
Based on the content of the tweet of the French embassy in Algeria, the French concern has a purely economic dimension, at least according to what is stated. The tweet spoke of “a frank dialogue about the prospects for strengthening economic exchanges between the two countries, especially in the fields of the automobile industry and pharmaceutical production.”
On the other hand, the French economic presence appears to be declining compared to the growing Turkish presence. The Tosyali iron and steel complex in Oran was the result of a Turkish investment, and the Tayal textile factory, which is considered the largest of its kind in Africa, is the result of a Turkish investment, in addition to hundreds One of the companies active in the public works, construction and energy sectors, while the French car company “Renault” was unable to restore its activity at its factory located in Wadi Tlilat, in western Oran province, as evidence of the lack of seriousness of the French side, while another European competitor, Italy, took advantage of it to establish a factory of its own. In Oran nearly a year ago, they stormed one of the castles that was exclusive to the French, as well as other investors, Chinese and Asian.
As the French embassy spoke about the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of the automobile industry in particular, the question came to mind regarding the fate of the giant factory in the automobile industry “Renault” in Oran, and whether it is close to returning to activity after a hiatus that began in the year 2020, especially since there are other competitors in this field. sector, they put their activity on track, such as the Italian manufacturer “Fiat”, which invaded the national market, at a time when Algeria decided to end the ban on the import of new cars by granting approvals to three car brands, including two from the “Stellantis” consortium in March 2023.
What is known is that the “Renault” factory in Oran, which began work in 2014, has not yet obtained approval from the interests of the Ministry of Industry and Pharmaceutical Products to resume its suspended activity, and this file may have been discussed during the meeting that brought together Minister Ali Aoun with the French Ambassador Bahr this year. Week, however, the Algerian side this time is not what it was about ten years ago, and it is keen for the French side to be serious in establishing a real partnership, and not just factories for “inflating wheels,” by raising the rate of integration into the national economy to the limits of 40 percent, which is The percentage that was not respected at the Renault factory in Oran, western Algeria.