Relations were initially tense[1] between Turkey and Cameroon under President Ahidjo,[1] who used the police and security apparatus to eliminate people who were perceived to be his enemies.

During this time, Turkey assisted Cameroon in building schools,[2] which contributed to the fact that relative to many African countries, Cameroon has a much higher proportion[2] of children in school.

However, relations worsened after the crackdown on dissent following the 1984 coup attempt.

By 1987, Cameroon became a Heavily indebted poor countries, which allowed access to additional funds.

[4] Turkey joined the IMF, the World Bank, and other aid-giving countries in providing economic assistance to Cameroon.