Zambia declared its independence on 24 October 1964. Turkish Government accredited its Embassy in Nairobi (opened on 30 March 1968) to Zambia and from 1994 to 2011, Turkish Embassy in Pretoria became accredited to Zambia.

Türkiye-Zambia relations gained momentum following the opening of the Turkish Embassy in Lusaka in 2011 and the Zambian Embassy in Ankara in 2013. Turkish Embassy in Lusaka is accredited to Malawi and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) based in Lusaka.

The first ever Presidential visit from Türkiye was the visit of H.E. President Erdoğan to Zambia in 2018, which contributed to furthering relations in all fields. During the visit, 15 agreements were signed and the Foreign Economic Relations Board DEIK of Türkiye with the participation of Turkish and Zambian business people and representatives of the related institutions organized meetings chaired by the Ministers of Trade.

Visits were realized from Zambia to Türkiye at the level of President (at a bilateral level in 2010 and at the margins of international events in 2011 and 2018), Foreign Minister (in 2014, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025) and other Ministerial levels. The first round of Political Consultations was held in Lusaka in 2013, while the second (2018) and third (2023) rounds took place in Ankara and Lusaka, respectively.

Türkiye and Zambia are working closely to enhance their collaborative relations in the fields of agriculture, tourism, health, education, energy, mining, infrastructure, among others.

The trade volume between Turkiye and Zambia in 2024 was at the level of 40,64 Million USD. Türkiye’s export to Zambia was worth 33,18 Million USD, whereas its import from Zambia was worth 7,46 Million USD.

The main export commodities of the Turkish companies to Zambia are machinery and appliances, tools and their parts, used textile, iron and steel products, appliances and their spare parts. Carpets and furniture are other export items. Turkish imports from Zambia are mainly ferro-silico-manganese products, tobacco and zinc.

The Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation signed on 15 December 2011 established the Joint Economic Commission (JEC). (First JEC meeting was organized on 12-13 February 2020 in Lusaka.) Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEIK) and Zambia Development Agency agreed on the formation of the Turkish-Zambia Business Council with the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2016. The Council had its first meeting on 20 June 2018 in Lusaka.

There are 25 agreements signed between Türkiye and Zambia to date.

Through Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), Türkiye is providing development assistance to Zambia in various domains.

The Turkish Airlines currently operates three flights per week between İstanbul and Lusaka.

Since 1992, the government of Türkiye grants scholarships to the Zambian students. The number of Zambian students benefitting from Türkiye Scholarships program has reached 213 (2024).