Türkiye’s Friendly Hand: Humanitarian Diplomacy Contact Kızılırmak Mahallesi Mevlana Bulv. No:144 Çukurambar Ankara/TÜRKİYE T +90 312 590 20 00 | webinfo@iletisim. gov. tr Prestij Grafik Rek. ve Mat. San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti. T 0 212 489 40 63, İstanbul Matbaa Sertifika No: 45590 Print 1st edition, İstanbul, 2022 © 2022 PUBLICATIONS BY PRESIDENCY’S DIRECTORATE OF COMMUNICATIONS Türkiye’s Friendly Hand: Humanitarian Diplomacy Türkiye’s Friendly Hand: Humanitarian Diplomacy Türkiye’s Friendly Hand: Humanitarian Diplomacy TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Introduction President of the Republic Of Türki̇ye Recep Tayyi̇p Erdoğan 07 Preface Prof. Fahrettin Altun 09 Introduction 11 1. Foreign Aid And Soft Power 15 2. Soft Power And Nation Branding 21 3. The Relationship Between Nation Branding And Foreign Aid 25 A. What is the Concept of Foreign Aid? 29 B. Historical Development and Institutionalisation of the Foreign Aid Concept 33 C. Why is foreign aid allocated? 39 D. Types of Foreign Aid 48 E. What is Humanitarian Diplomacy as a Type of Foreign Aid? 51 F. Türkiye and Humanitarian Diplomacy 52 4. Historical Development of Foreign Aid Provided by the Republic of Türkiye 61 5. Foreign Aids in Turkish Foreign Policy: Humanitarian Diplomacy 65 A. Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) 68 B. Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) 76 C. Turkish Red Crescent 79 D. Presidency of Religious Affairs and Türkiye Diyanet Foundation 80 6. Türkiye’s Humanitarian Diplomacy in the COVID-19 Pandemic 85 A. Support Activities Conducted During the Pandemic 99 B. International Cooperation Efforts 101 1. Activities of TIKA During the Pandemic Period (2020-2021) 103 2. Activities of AFAD in the Pandemic Period (2020-2021) 143 3. Turkish Red Crescent’s Activities during Pandemic (2020-2021) 152 4. Presidency of Religious Affairs’ Activities during Pandemic 153 Conclusion 165 T hroughout the world, conflicts, wars, injustices, inequality, terrorism, epidemics, climate change, migration, and rac- ism cause severe humanitarian crises. Unfortunately, gov- ernments are unable to demonstrate the necessary solidar- ity in the face of these challenges that impact the entire human race and that no single nation can solve on its own. Similarly, internation- al institutions are incapable of demonstrating the necessary will and acting to find a solution. This situation necessitated our nation to assume greater responsibil- ity in the face of global developments as well as those occurring with- in its immediate geographic region. Türkiye is actively engaged in a vast array of issues, ranging from the fight against terrorism to peace I N T R O D U C T I O N INTRODUCTION | 7 diplomacy, global system reform to development aid. Humanitarian diplomacy is a significant component of these efforts, which we con- tinue in pursuit of a fairer world. We, as Türkiye, provide unrivaled assistance to our brothers and sis- ters who fled the Syrian civil war and terrorist attacks and took refuge in our country. Türkiye, which currently hosts the greatest number of refugees in the world, ranks first in the world in terms of humanitari- an aid per national income. Today, Türkiye seeks to extend a hand of friendship to all corners of the globe, regardless of religion, language, skin tone, or geographic region. Our voluntary organisations, foundations, associations, and government institutions, which are the embodiment of our nation's generosity, come to the aid of the persecuted, the victimized, and the impoverished. Providing medical supplies to 161 countries and 12 international organizations during the pandemic, when wealthy na- tions were entirely shut down, the Turkish government once again shown the significance it places on sharing and solidarity. I believe that the book "Türkiye’s Friendly Hand: Humanitarian Di- plomacy" prepared by our Presidency’s Directorate of Communica- tions will be a work that emphasises the vastness of the compassion of our nation and the example that our country sets for the world in this field. I congratulate those who contributed to the preparation of the book and may Allah reward our aid workers who work devotedly all over the world. PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN PREFACE | 9 T ürkiye has stood out as a stabilising and respectable coun- try in its region and around the world, particularly in the last 20 years under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Our country, which has been consolidat- ing its strength in all aspects, from national security to the economy, makes highly valuable humanitarian and diplomatic efforts and con- tributions for peace and tranquillity in all parts of the world that are plagued by war and suffering, from Syria to Ukraine. Humanitarian diplomacy efforts, which are a complementing compo- nent of our country's foreign policy initiatives, span from humanitari- an aid to development assistance. Türkiye's humanitarian diplomacy has also become a brand due to its genuine efforts all over the world with no hidden motivations. The Turkish approach of humanitarian diplomacy serves as a model for the rest of the world in practically every area, from the refugee crisis to the fight against a global pan- demic. As a result of the humanitarian aid activities we have conducted with all relevant public and non-governmental organisations, especially TIKA, AFAD, Turkish Red Crescent, and the Presidency of Religious Affairs, Türkiye has attained the position of the most generous coun- try in the world, which is a source of pride for our country and our people. We believe that the book "Türkiye’s Friendly Hand: Humani- tarian Diplomacy", prepared by the Presidency’s Directorate of Com- munications, will raise public awareness on Türkiye's humanitarian and diplomatic efforts. At this point, I would like to take the opportu- nity to express my gratitude to Assoc. Prof. Erman Akıllı for the inval- uable contributions that he made to this publication. P R E F A C E PRESIDENCY’S DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS PROF. FAHRETTIN ALTUN 10 | TÜRKIYE’NIN DOST ELI: INSANI DIPLOMASI INTRODUCTION | 11 H umanitarian diplomacy is a concept based on foreign aid that functions as a structure that prioritises human- itarian aid over developmental and monetary aspects of foreign aid. The fact that foreign aid, on which Humani- tarian Diplomacy is founded, gained a place as a concept in the disci- pline of International Relations coincides with the end of World War II, i.e. the reconstruction of continental Europe, which was divided into two following the war. Furthermore, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the transformation of the bipolar international sys- tem into a unipolar one in the early 1990s, this concept surely earned a decisive position in countries' foreign policies. Indeed, states have begun restructuring their political and economic infrastructures in the new world order formed after the Cold War. On the other hand, the countries in the former Soviet basin that gained their independ- ence received some assistance from other states in order to navigate their reform process successfully. Since then, foreign aid has grown in importance in countries' foreign policy, and it now encompasses a broad range of actions, including humanitarian aid, development I n t r o d u c t i o n 12 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY assistance, and education assistance. At this point, states employ for- eign aid as a soft power instrument to strengthen their own nation brands in the international system. As will be discussed further below, donor countries offer aid to coun- tries in need for a variety of reasons and expectations. Türkiye, on the other hand, fulfils its duty in oppressed geographies to be there for those who have no one by identifying itself as a member of the Um- mah of the Prophet who said, "One who sleeps on a full stomach while their neighbour is hungry is not one of us." As part of this, Türkiye's Humanitarian Diplomacy exercised in its foreign policy, shaped by the spiritual environment of Islamic civilisation, manifests itself in Türkiye's extended hand of friendship to those in need. Humanitarian Diplomacy is successfully carried out by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), the Turkish Red Crescent, the Presidency of Religious Affairs, the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation, and most notably, the Turkish Cooperation and Coor- dination Agency (TIKA) of the Republic of Türkiye. Humanitarian aid efforts of these institutions enable Türkiye to extend its hand of friendship to every corner of the world, from Afghanistan to Haiti, Chile to Kosovo and contribute to the elevation of the Turkish Foreign Policy from a regional to a global scale. Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türki- ye's Humanitarian Diplomacy is successfully carried out in coordi- nation with numerous state institutions, from TIKA to Turkish Red Crescent, AFAD to Türkiye Diyanet Foundation, in line with the mot- to "The world is bigger than five". INTRODUCTION | 13 14 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY FOREIGN AID AND SOFT POWER | 15 F o r e i g n A i d a n d S o f t P o w e r 0 1 T he concept of soft power was introduced to the discipline of International Relations by Joseph S. Nye's book "Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power" in 1990. Nye defines Soft Power as 'the ability to obtain preferred outcomes by attraction rather than coercion or persuasion (e.g. pay- ment),' which he used for the first time in the aforementioned work. While the basis of hard power is persuasion by command through coercion and force, soft power achieves its goal of attraction by agen- da-setting and becoming a centre of attraction through shared values and cultural policies. In fact, soft power aims to reach its foreign pol- icy goals through persuasion, dialogue and positive image whereas hard power manifests itself with commanding elements such as coer- cion, threat and embargo. In a broader sense, soft power is a notion in which a state achieves its foreign policy objectives only via the influence of attraction on other countries, without any material or moral, indirect or direct interfer- ence. Nye emphasises that the attraction of a country's cultural struc- ture, foreign policy principles and international image is the essence of that country's 'Soft Power' potential since the foreign policies pur- sued by that country will increase or decrease its soft power based on its legitimacy in the eyes of the international public. Likewise, Nye said, "Winning the peace is harder than winning a war and soft power is essential to winning the peace. Yet the way we went to war in Iraq proved to be as costly for our soft power as it was a stunning victory for our hard power." 16 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY Nye highlights that being feared is not more vital than being loved. In his famous work The Prince, Machiavelli actually advised princ- es in Italy that it was more important to be feared than to be loved; however, Nye argues that in today's world, it is essential to be loved along with being feared, stating that especially minds which cannot be bend or hearts that cannot be reached by fear can only be won with soft power. According to Nye, power is "the ability to influence the behaviour of others to get the outcomes one wants." Nye describes the use of power as "There are several ways to affect the behaviour of others. You can coerce them with threats; you can induce them with payments, or you can attract and co-opt them to want what you want." The Turkish Language Association defines the concept of power as "the ability to exert physical, ideological, or moral influence or to resist that influence." According to another definition, power is "the capacity to influence others and shape their preferences within the bounds of possibility." Nye makes a distinction between Hard Power and Soft Power using his renowned carrot and stick metaphor. Hard Power, according to Nye, can be fuelled by inducements ("carrots") or threats ("sticks"). However, Soft Power does not allow for inducements or threats; if other states admire a country's values, level of prosperity and oppor- tunity, that country's wants will become the wants of others. As part of this, it is essential to set the agenda in global politics and attract other countries, rather than relying just on military power or econom- ic sanctions. Nye further stresses in this context that 'influence' and 'soft power' are not the same as influence can also be based on the hard power of threats or payments. Soft power is the ability to attract, which requires acquiescence rather than coercion; in other words, the soft power concept aims to lead to acquiescence rather than coercion in the target country. While Nye describes soft power in behavioural terms as attractive power, he defines it in terms of resources as the assets that produce such attraction. On the other hand, Nye claims that soft power and hard power are connected. In fact, Nye highlights that these concepts represent two distinct approaches to achieving one's purpose by influencing the conduct of others. The distinction between them lies in the nature of their behaviour as well as the tangibility of their resources. Nye ar- gues that command power (the ability to change what others do) is FOREIGN AID AND SOFT POWER | 17 based on coercion or inducement, whereas co-optive power (the abil- ity to shape what others want) depends on the attractiveness of one's culture and values or the ability to manipulate the agenda of political choices for one's own purpose. According to Nye, the origins of the concept of soft power in interna- tional politics often derive from the values expressed by an organi- sation or country in its own culture, the examples set by its practices and policies, and the manner in which it manages its relationships with others. Indeed, Nye, using the "American Dream" as an exam- ple, asserts that the USA's power inspires the desires and dreams of people across the globe, owing to Hollywood and that many students from other countries travel to the USA to pursue their education. As this interpretation of Nye suggests, the primary objective of the con- cept of soft power is to produce a 'dream' that will attract and charm others. As suggested earlier, while Nye acknowledges a relation between soft power and hard power, he argues that the two are actually divided by sharp lines. Nye also stresses that soft power is not dependent on hard power; that is, the presence of soft power is not reliant on the existence of hard power. In other words, there is no object-shadow relationship between them. Nye provides the following explanation for this situation, "The Vatican has undebatable soft power despite Stalin's mocking question, 'How many divisions does the Pope have?' The Soviet Union once had a good deal of soft power, but it lost much of it after the invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Soviet soft power declined even as its hard economic and military resources con- tinued to grow." Nye states that utilising soft power aspects is actually more challeng- ing than utilising hard power elements. He accepts that soft power aspects produce outcomes more slowly than hard power aspects. However, Nye emphasises that the effect acquired through soft power is more lasting than the one obtained through hard power. According to Nye, the soft power of a country rests primarily on three resources: (1) the culture of the country, (2) its political values, and (3) its foreign policy. Nye defines a country's culture as the collection of values and practices that have meaning for society and emphasis- 18 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY es that culture has many forms of manifestation. Nye classifies these manifestations as "high culture", which includes literature, art and ed- ucation that appeal to the elite, and "popular culture", which is based on entertainment. As Nye stated, when a country's culture integrates universal values and its policies are viewed and embraced as legit- imate by others, the prospect of achieving the country's objectives arises. Nye stresses that achieving this objective is extremely difficult for countries with constrained and shallow cultures surrounded by narrow-minded ideals. In this context, it would not be incorrect to ar- gue that the Republic of Türkiye, as a result of its Ottoman Empire heritage and profoundly influential imperial culture, possesses sig- nificant potential and capability for soft power development. The popular culture pillar of soft power is comprised of items such as television series, movies, and music produced by a country. Thus, when the Taliban regime fell in Afghanistan in 2001, the Indian Min- istry of Foreign Affairs sent an aeroplane to Kabul filled with Bolly- wood movies and music, rather than weapons and food, and distrib- uted these popular cultural items all around the city. On the other hand, Nye emphasises that components of the American Dream such as Coca-Cola and the Big Mac do not contribute to the Islamic world's love of the United States; similarly, North Korean (former) Dictator Kim Jong II's love of pizza and Hollywood did not convince him to suspend his nuclear programs. People don't fall in love with France because of the Eiffel Tower, wine, or cheese, nor do the skyscrapers, samurai, manga, or anime help elevate Japan to a higher global status. The second source, according to Nye, is "political values". As he points out, in the 1950s and 1960s, America's racial segregation undermined its soft power in Africa, and today, capital punishment and poor gun control laws weaken America's soft power in the EU and Europe. Prior to the government of the Justice and Development (AK) Party, Tür- kiye's soft power in terms of legislation regulating human rights and freedoms was almost non-existent in the Western world, particularly the EU and Europe. In fact, before the rule of the AK Party, a coup took place on February 28, 1997, profoundly upsetting Türkiye's po- litical life and attempting to violently restrict people's freedom of religion, belief, and lifestyle. Individual freedom, that is, the right to self-determination of religion, belief, and lifestyle, became achieva- FOREIGN AID AND SOFT POWER | 19 ble in Türkiye only with the AK Party administration, following the February 28 coup. One may argue that this unfavourable impression of Türkiye has steadily diminished as a consequence of the AK Par- ty government's liberal approach and the efforts made in this area in accordance with the EU Acquis process. To present the Republic of Türkiye as an example, Türkiye has become one of the few countries in the international system that has seen an increase in soft power in recent years, owing to most notably its civil constitution as well as its historical, cultural riches, which include natural wonders and histor- ical artefacts, cinema, television, and art. Nye underlines that government policies have the power to empow- er or waste a country's soft power potential. Indeed, Nye emphasis- es that when it comes to the United States, the Vietnam War and the 2003 Iraq War (Second Gulf War) caused severe damage to the coun- try's soft power globally and significantly weakened the worldwide sympathy towards the country. According to Nye, if a country's inter- nal and foreign policies are hypocritical, arrogant, or narrow-minded in comparison to other countries, the country's soft power would suf- fer immensely. However, unlike hard power, soft power elements are uncontrollable by the government. Indeed, the government has the authority to direct the launch of a missile or to direct a military force to execute a cross-border operation. However, the manner in which that country is regarded as a source of sympathy is determined by the worldviews of the parties to that sympathy. Indeed, our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's "One Minute" reaction has been extremely significant for the Islamic world and oppressed regions. As a result, Türkiye's soft power in the aforementioned areas has advanced sig- nificantly. Unlike Nye, South Korean political scientist Geun Lee takes a me- thodical approach to soft power strategies, listing them as follows: 1. Manipulation or creation of self-images to improve security envi- ronments: Countries whose image has been tainted in global public opinion as a result of specific incidents should pursue more peaceful policies in order to repair their image. Lee uses the architects of World War II, Japan and Germany, as an example in this context. 2. Manipulation of others' images to mobilise supports for collective actions: An example is the USA's attempt to justify its intervention 20 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY in the Middle East by labelling some countries as "rogue states" and identifying Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as "Axis of Evil." 3. Network Effect Strategy: This strategy is based on the spread of cer- tain standards, behavioural patterns, and common reference forms. This approach aims to establish an external environment that pro- motes countries, international organisations, and companies pos- sessing these values. Examples include the globalisation of the Eng- lish language and the spread of liberal democracy. 4. Accelerating Situational Change: This method is suitable only if the target country is experiencing a crisis. Türkiye's support for de- mocracy and prioritisation of human rights during the Arab Spring is an example of this scenario. 5. Heroes and Celebrities: Internationally renowned artists and/ or public figures who, in collaboration with the governments of the country of their nationality, demonstrate behaviours consistent with universal principles, make remarks and offer assistance. Artists serv- ing as Peace Ambassadors and visiting impoverished regions are ex- amples of this strategy. To summarise, soft power envisions an understanding that fosters acquiescence rather than force, as well as attraction and sympathy rather than command and coercion. A country and/or state earn le- gitimacy in the eyes of others by its soft power, which includes dip- lomatic, economic, cultural, and identity resources. What matters in soft power is not coercion but the ability to demonstrate the capacity of converting the other party's will to one's own. SOFT POWER AND NATION BRANDING | 21 T he terms "brand" and "branding" are known as commercial concepts. The term "brand" can refer to at least three dis- tinct concepts in the world of commerce. To begin, it refers to a product's identity (the appearance, packaging, logo, service, and communication of the product, etc.). Secondly, it refers to the product's underlying organisational culture. Thirdly, it refers to the mental conception of the product's intended audience. By de- veloping their own brand values, similar to trademarks, states seek to enhance their favourable image in the eyes of the international public as a result of globalization within the international system. Simon Anholt, a member of the British Government's Public Diplo- macy Board, a leading authority on managing and measuring, and the author of three major global publications, namely the Anholt Ip- sos Nation Brands Index, City Brands Index, and State Brands Index, coined the concept of nation branding for the first time in 1996. Nation branding is a multifaceted term that encompasses public diplomacy and national identity, as well as geopolitics, history, level of develop- ment, and economy of a country and is fundamentally about image management. The primary objective of nation branding is to foster a favourable perception of the country. In this context, the branding in question can be created by a variety of soft power aspects, ranging from the country's tourism elements to its intangible cultural herit- age, from gastronomy to art. Similarly, steps taken in accordance with the country's foreign policy, particularly foreign aid, can contribute S o f t P o w e r a n d N a t i o n B r a n d i n g 0 2 22 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY positively to the country's brand power. It is critical for countries to understand how the global public per- ceives them and how their achievements and failures are mirrored in the brand value of their own people and products. Globalisation has brought all countries into competition. States are making a concerted effort on a global scale to earn the trust of investors, tourists, and con- sumers and to attract them to their countries. Nation branding, devel- oping a nation brand, and promoting a positive image of the nation have thus become critical missions. Today, countries utilise brands in a variety of ways to communicate with the rest of the globe. In general, clear and straightforward images, slogans, and marketing strategies are employed. In today's international system, nation branding has become an increasingly prevalent approach. Indeed, many countries, from the United States to Saudi Arabia, from the United Kingdom to Germany, France, and Italy, use nation branding in their foreign pol- icy. In essence, nation branding aims to export a country's positive im- age to the international public, thereby boosting the country's inter- national reputation. This allows them to attract foreign investment, establish international political influence, positively impact visitors, accelerate nation-building, attract and maintain the talented, and ad- dress environmental or human rights concerns, among other things. Governments and marketing experts devise strategies for nation branding. Those who develop efficient nation branding strategies recognise that every component – whether proper or improper – has an effect on a country's international brand. Numerous countries, including Canada, the United States of America, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand, Israel, and the majority of Western European countries, have embraced and implemented nation branding. Additionally, some claim that capitalism has transformed the globe into a market. As a result, the concept of a country developing a brand in order to boost its international image has gained traction. As the community that constitutes a nation, citizens are the actors involved in the process of nation branding. Citizens participate in this process indirectly. When the history of nation branding is scrutinised, it is clear that it evolved for commercial purposes. Indeed, as we enter the twen- SOFT POWER AND NATION BRANDING | 23 ty-first century, the brand and branding vision has been an issue of foreign policy. While the brand is inherently one of the key agenda items in the marketing sector, this may also be why it entered the in- ternational relations agenda at an era of widespread capitalism. The nineteenth-century saw a rapid growth of product branding. Manu- facturers showed consumer products from all over the world at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London. Demand for consumer products surged throughout the 1950s and 1960s, resulting in fierce competi- tion among brands. Above all, the advertising industry in the Unit- ed States has garnered considerable attention. Meanwhile, in 1941, a group of influential firms founded a brand consultancy firm, Landor, in San Francisco, paving the groundwork for contemporary branding practice. The tourism industry, in particular, has long used marketing strategies to attract tourists based on national demands. It is critical at this point to understand which nation desires what, the type of re- sponse it anticipates, and how tourism operators respond. In the late 1980s and 1990s, the United Kingdom saw the rise of na- tion branding as a term and the conceptualisation of what branding can achieve for people and products within the British academic cir- cles. During this decade, British marketing experts collaborated with policymakers to reassess the United Kingdom's image, thereby accel- erating the branding process. Since 2000, there has been no shortage of institutions striving to promote nation branding and related publications. The recent pop- ularity of nation branding in politics and advertising has actually spawned a slew of new academic research fields. Numerous research and consulting initiatives on "Nation Branding" have been conduct- ed by think tanks and academic institutes in Europe and the United States. The significance of nation branding campaigns is exception- ally high for post-colonial countries. Indeed, Suriname established nation branding strategies in 2015, including the "We Are Suriname" campaign led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to garner worldwide attention and encourage foreign investment. Likewise, Barbados’s establishment of a virtual embassy in the Metaverse reali- ty in 2022 is another notable example of this circumstance. Nation branding is also inextricably linked to national identity. Since 2000's, numerous states have engaged in nation branding activities, 24 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY and nation branding has become ingrained in the contemporary top policy just as security and hard power. When the concept of nation branding is evaluated in terms of its country of origin, countries such as the United States, Germany, France, Portugal, Estonia, and Poland gain ground in their efforts to eliminate negative images about their national identities. It can be seen, in particular, that former colonial- ist/imperialist states use nation branding in order to build a positive image by eliminating the negative perceptions of the past. In contrast to the goal of eradicating the aforementioned negative perception in the West, Türkiye's nation branding strategy is to strengthen the awareness of Türkiye in the international arena as a leading country that stands by the oppressed as the most generous country in the world and to extend its hand of friendship to those in need. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 25 T h e R e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n N a t i o n B r a n d i n g a n d F o r e i g n A i d 0 3 S tates, like individuals, encountered times when assistance was required. It is well established that states reached a point where they were unable to provide the most basic necessities at times. On-going wars, states of emergency, and natural calamities throughout the world have rendered states in need of as- sistance on occasion. Friendly states that provided assistance during these times and did not use the assistance as a means of sanction- ing have always been valued. Türkiye, for example, endured a terrible period during the August 17, 1999 İzmit earthquake. Neighbouring friendly countries that supplied housing and tents during that period are still appreciated today, particularly by the region’s residents who have recovered from the earthquake. These countries undoubtedly remain fresh in the state’s memory. The states that provided foreign aid that day have possessed a nation brand and a favourable image in Türkiye’s eyes. Whether it be humanitarian aid or official development assistance, foreign aid is only valuable if it is accepted as a friendly approach by the recipient country. When official development assistance and hu- manitarian aid are compared from the standpoint of nation branding, it is possible to assume that humanitarian aid will be more effective due to its status as support delivered in times of need. Official devel- opment assistance is a form of support provided to countries that are currently developing but will improve their development status through the incoming assistance. As a result, because both sorts of 26 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY aid benefit the recipient country, they are activities that will have an immediate and positive effect in terms of nation branding. Foreign aid can play an important role in the implementation of for- eign policy and the establishment of actual international relations between countries. Indeed, the fact that countries benefiting from Marshall Plan provided by the United States found it easier to join the Western Bloc after WWII, demonstrates that alliance relations be- tween states are easier to establish as a result of foreign aid. While states provide foreign aid, they also consider the receiving country’s nation brand, i.e. its image. Even if states associated with terrorism or inconsistencies are in need of foreign aid, not every state will be willing to provide it. At times, there have been cases where the pub- lic did not support aid campaigns for humanitarian crises in certain countries to the same amount as the government. At this point, it is possible to assert that the nation brand is what directs individuals. Foreign aid and nation branding are also an important issue for do- nor countries. As a matter of fact, the Republic of Türkiye was named the most generous country according to the Global Humanitarian Assistance Report. Türkiye’s current situation has undoubtedly ele- vated it to a more impressive level in the international arena. TIKA’s initial years (1992–2002) were dedicated to giving infrastructure and technical assistance to newly independent countries that broke away from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This situation created the perception that Türkiye is a brand for technical development in the countries to which aid is delivered. Türkiye stands out in the in- ternational arena in terms of nation branding as the most generous country, fairness, and global power, based not only on the aforemen- tioned geography but also on the humanitarian aid it has supplied throughout the world. Türkiye’s branding notions have been impor- tant not only in terms of foreign aid, but also in terms of the country’s economic, social, legal, and similar images. Western interest-based development strategies have resulted in sig- nificant changes in the way aid is allocated across recipients. Aid has been allocated to locations where the state has an interest. During the Cold War, aid was often used to project the donor’s influence in faraway countries. This was performed with a preference for strate- THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 27 gically significant countries. Britain’s former Secretary of State for International Development Hilary Benn noted that Cold War aid often did not focus on development and was “provided to dictators just because they were on ‘our side.’” As can be seen from this, the in- terest-based use of foreign aid transforms it into a soft power instru- ment. Following World War II, foreign aid began to evolve into a versa- tile foreign policy tool. This is demonstrated by the establishment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in 1945. These organisations were formed to provide assistance and economic development incentives in exchange for repayment. The modern concept of bilateral foreign aid began with US support in the wake of the devastation in Europe after World War II. The United States accomplished this by funding the reconstruction of Europe- an states through the Marshall Plan, which went into effect in 1947. Others followed the US example and began to incorporate foreign aid into their own foreign policies. Some theses suggest that as the use of foreign aid as a tool of foreign policy increases, the donor country’s interests will be more important than the recipient country’s needs. This reinforces the notion that foreign aid has completely deviated from its original purpose and become a tool of foreign policy. Thus, it can be easily said that the concepts of foreign aid and soft power are closely related to each other. World War II, which began with Germany’s annexation of Poland’s Danzig region on September 1, 1939, ended in Europe with Nazi Ger- many’s surrender on May 7, 1945, followed by Japan’s surrender on September 2, 1945, due to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The devastating effects of World War II, which resulted in the deaths of millions of people and the loss, injury, and crippling of millions more, had a significant impact on continen- tal Europe. In Europe, where the war’s conflicts were most intense, the war had devastating effects and resulted in significant demographic, political-social, and infrastructure losses for the countries involved. The war caused severe damage not only to the physical structures of European states but also to their economic structures. In the post-war world order, states sought solutions to the war’s devastating effects. At this point, countries began to employ foreign aid as a tool of for- eign policy in an effort to mitigate the war’s devastation. Foreign aid 28 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY turned into a dimension of diplomacy between countries, including the “recipient” and the “donor” countries, and thus entered the realm of foreign policy. In this context, foreign aid has become one of the diplomatic instruments that determine the outlook of diplomatic re- lations between nations since 1945. As stated, in the post-World War II world order, although it was an- ticipated that the realpolitik argument would not gain traction in the international system, it was observed that the concept of national in- terest was the primary determining factor of foreign policy during the Cold War. Such a political climate has led to more conflicts of interest among states and thus to the rise of a conflictual environment in the world. While the global increase in the number of people in need of assistance is a cause for concern, the balance of benefits and losses for countries receiving foreign aid remains a topic of discussion. Foreign aid has evolved into a social construction tool that improves states and international relations in the realm of foreign policy, where soft power and public diplomacy are also utilised as intensive instru- ments. Foreign aid has become one of the many instruments used by states in their foreign policies, as highlighted in the preceding para- graphs. Among the outlined diplomatic tools, foreign aid is unques- tionably essential in a wide range of situations, from dialogue to mil- itary action. Foreign aid may differ in terms of the donor countries’ purposes, distribution methods and contents. In this context, foreign aid can be distributed in a variety of ways, and its contents can vary. Because foreign aid can have a social, economic, and reorganizational focus. On the other hand, countries may employ a variety of distribu- tion methods for such aids. The OECD summarises its methods for distributing external aid as bilateral or multilateral, concessional or non-concessional, and official or private aid. In the most fundamen- tal distinction, it is possible to summarise foreign aid as humanitar- ian aid and development aid. In fact, humanitarian aid is provided primarily to meet immediate human needs, whereas development aid is based on a win-win strategy in state relations. In the early 1990s, the end of the Cold War made Türkiye a neighbour to conflict zones. In the post-Soviet international system, the South Caucasus, the Balkans, and the Middle East have become conflict THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 29 zones. The Republic of Türkiye has endeavoured to base its foreign policy on the risks and opportunities presented by the new interna- tional order. In regions where communication has been limited for many years, significant foreign policy initiatives have been developed and implemented. In this context, we see the formation of TIKA, the institution that drives Türkiye’s foreign aid policy. TIKA, whose ini- tial scope of operations was limited to the newly independent Turkic Republics, made its real breakthrough with the AK Party. Because, on the basis of AK Party governments and under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye has become a central country of the international system from being a peripheral country. Unquestionably, one of the crucial pillars of this massive transforma- tion is the foreign aid that Türkiye provides with the responsibility of being the helping hand for the downtrodden in oppressed regions. In the 2018 Global Humanitarian Assistance Report issued by the “Global Humanitarian Assistance - GHA” programme in Britain, Tür- kiye ranked first with a humanitarian assistance amount of US$ 8.14 billion. As a consequence of the donations, Türkiye was recognised as the most generous donor country in 2018. Türkiye’s position strength- ened its positive image on its way to become a leading country in the international arena. In the globalising world order, countries priori- tise activities that would improve their own positive image in the in- ternational system. Since the legitimacy of foreign policies pursued by countries with a favourable image makes the country strong, men- tioned foreign policy initiatives get the support of international com- munity. In this context, the Republic of Türkiye, as the centre country of the international system and the leading country of the Ummah, with its accelerating foreign policy, provides assistance to the entire world via institutions such as TIKA, AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency), Turkish Red Crescent and Presidency of Religious Affairs, regardless of religion, language and race. A. What is the Concept of Foreign Aid? The concept of “foreign aid” which refers to states’ assistance to other states and nations in the international system, rose to prominence as a concept in the field of International Relations and as a diplomat- ic instrument in interstate relations after 1945. Although definitions 30 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY vary, the concept of foreign aid is defined in essence as the assistance provided particularly by economically developed countries to under- developed or developing countries in the international system. According to one definition, foreign aid is “voluntary transfer of re- sources from one country to another”. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee defines foreign aid as “the long-term and low-interest loans, with a grant element of at least 25%, provided by donor coun- tries’ state and local governments, or by their executive agencies to another country, non-governmental organizations and international organisations, for the promotion of economic development and wel- fare in developing countries”. According to another definition, foreign aid is broadly defined as the transfer of capital and technology from developed countries to developing countries. In terms of interstate relations, the conceptual definition of aid is the mobilisation of a state’s resources for another state or states in need and the contribution to the development of the countries in need. The concept of foreign aid is defined as “in general, the transfer of capital and technology from developed countries to developing coun- tries”. In this context, and in light of the aforementioned definitions, the concept of foreign aid can be defined as financing and all types of resource transfers provided by states and/or international organisa- tions to underdeveloped or developing countries via official institu- tions or non-governmental organisations. Many writers/thinkers have pondered over foreign aid to explain its concept clearly within the discipline of International Relations and establish a definition that is universally acknowledged in the litera- ture. For example, Carol Lancester defines foreign aid as “voluntary transfer of public resources, from a government to another independ- ent government, to an NGO, or to an international organization (such as the World Bank or the UN Development Program) with at least a 25 per cent grant element” and adds “one goal of which is to better the human condition in the country receiving the aid.” Hence why, the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), affiliated THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 31 with the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD), a leading international organisation in foreign aid, intro- duced the concept of “official development assistance”. Accordingly, two main criteria for aid to be considered official development assis- tance are emphasized. The first criterion is that foreign aid is provid- ed by official agencies, including state and local governments, or by their executive agencies. The second criterion is that foreign aid is administered with the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries as its main objective, and is conces- sional in character and conveys a grant element of at least 25 per cent. Based on this definition, the Development Assistance Committee does not qualify military aid that is not directly related to economic development and welfare as official development assistance. Like- wise, non-concessional loans to developing countries are not consid- ered official development assistance, according to the DAC. In terms of their functions, foreign aid is also referred to as interstate economic aid. Within that perspective, it would not be inaccurate to argue that the said economic aids play a major role on the basis of international politics. Official Development Assistance (ODA) can be an example of this type of aid since it is the most extensively utilised and politically dominant type of aid employed by governments in the international system. Foreign aid is classified by the Development Assistance Committee in three basic categories: (i) Official Development Assistance (ODA) re- fers to the aid from donor countries to low and middle income coun- tries. This type of aid is provided with a grant element of at least 25 per cent. (ii) Other Official Flows (OOF). The difference of this type of aid from ODA is that it is not provided to promote development or does not include a grant element of at least 25 per cent. (iii) Private Flows (PF) refer to aid provided by private institutions or non-gov- ernmental organisations. It is fair to claim that the OECD’s definition, which considers Foreign Aid from an economic perspective, is narrower. Because today, for- eign aid may be provided in a variety of fields from financial to hu- manitarian assistance. In fact, foreign aid is provided in many areas, from basic needs such as shelter and food to education, life safety, 32 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY vocational training and technical infrastructure support. In this re- spect, determining the scope and use of the concept of foreign aid as a diplomatic tool and foreign policy strategy may vary depending on the country and region where the aid is provided. Although the concept of foreign aid is approached with different in- terpretations and implementations depending on the country, it es- sentially addresses a fairly broad range of fields in terms of its types. Thus, the criteria set in the definition of foreign aid by the OECD and the definitions of foreign aid by countries may differ. So much so that the general framework of the definition in question and the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) definition of foreign aid have differing scopes. While some views claim that foreign aids should only be economic development goals, others argue that foreign aids should be used for technological infrastructure, econom- ic development, and military purposes. However, it should be remem- bered that foreign aid should be used to satisfy the needs of the recip- ient country. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there had been a significant demand for medicines, face masks, and other medical supplies in numerous countries. As a reflection of its humanitarian diplomacy, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of the Republic of Türkiye has provided and continues to provide human- itarian aid, including face masks and medicine, to many countries. As stated above, in western-oriented foreign aid notation, the role of influencing states solely in the economic context is actually em- phasized between the lines. However, countries such as Türkiye that place compassion in the world and humanity at the centre of their diplomacy prioritise humanitarian assistance in their foreign aid. Aside from the conceptual debates, another critical point in the is- sue of foreign aid is whether the aid has the qualities of aid or not. If countries offer assistance to the destitute for a reason other than to “help,” this raises questions about the aid and its appropriateness. Today, however, particularly the aids provided by states with a colo- nial history to their former colonies differ from the aforementioned considerations. On the other hand, as a result of the foreign aid activities carried out all over the world by the Republic of Türkiye through TIKA, AFAD, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 33 Red Crescent and the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation, especially in op- pressed geographies, underdeveloped and developing countries, it becomes possible to undertake a wide variety of improvements ranging from infrastructure projects to the vaccination of children, from the fight against infectious diseases to undertaking economic reforms, from supporting civil society to meeting the basic food, shel- ter and health needs of people in areas damaged by natural disasters. Humanitarian diplomacy, which forms the core of the foreign policy of the Republic of Türkiye, flourishes on the ground of these activ- ities and becomes the friendly hand of Türkiye, reaching out to the oppressed and the needy all over the world. B. Historical Development and Institutionalisation of the Foreign Aid Concept The existence of a donor state is a pre-requisite for discussing for- eign aid in today’s international system. Even in the periods when the regular state structure had not yet developed, human societies had undoubtedly aided each other throughout history. However, it would not be wrong to state that the transformation of foreign aid into a for- eign policy instrument in the global political system gained impetus in the post-World War II world order, i.e. after 1945. With the Westphalia order being effective in the international system, some imperialist states in the world have been drawn into the colo- nial conflict since the 15th century, centred around the nation/states’ national interest race. Foreign aid in this period was mainly in the form of military and technical aid provided by states to other friendly states. Since the beginning of the 20th century, foreign aid has be- come a major agenda item in international relations. Due to the fact that its allies suffered great losses in World War I, the United States, which had loaned substantial amounts of resources to them, convert- ed these loan resources into grants. The economies of European nations were particularly impacted by the devastation of the Second World War. Indeed, both the winners and the losers of the war sought ways to restructure their economies. On March 12, 1947, the United States launched a 13-billion-dollar Economic Recovery Program at the suggestion of Secretary of State 34 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY Marshall and with President Truman’s consent in order to both put Europe’s devastated economy under American control and limit the expansion of Soviet influence. The aid in question, referred to in the international relations literature as Marshall Plan, was one of the cru- cial milestones in the reorganization of the post-war European econ- omies. The development and institutionalisation of state-led foreign aid pol- icies in today’s international system have begun post-World War II. During this period, foreign aid organisations were founded, which are still active and well-known across the world. The first step tak- en in the new era was the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), founded under the umbrella of the United Nations, which replaced the ill-fated League of Nations established after World War I. In the following period, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB) and the General Agreement on Tar- iffs and Trade (GATT) organisations were established, which can be described as the three pillars of the economic architecture called the Bretton Woods System exported to the world by the US. On January 13, 1960, the Development Assistance Group (DAG) was established with the idea of contributing and providing support to underdeveloped and developing countries. In addition, this struc- turing aims to create the opportunity for cooperation among donor countries and ensure institutional development in foreign aid. The Development Assistance Group was integrated into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1961 and transformed into the Development Assistance Committee. Today, when we look at foreign aid in terms of application fields and forms, we can see that it has become more diverse. In fact, the target country’s needs are identified first, and assistance is provided in a variety of areas ranging from technical support to corporate training, from monetary assistance to construction assistance. Even though the manner of implementation varies according to the situation and need today, it has been observed that when foreign aid is carried out on the basis of certain rules, such as the foreign aid applied between countries throughout the history described in the preceding lines, a variety of mutual aid activities with a different quality than what is THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 35 understood today has been realised. Indeed, it is known that towards the end of the 19th century, the humanitarian relief operations carried out by the US and some wealthy European countries utilising public funds in the face of disasters in distant regions had risen. So much so that, before 1945, foreign aid was carried out under three main cate- gories; humanitarian aid, small-scale aid provided by European coun- tries for the development of their colonies during the civil war years, and technical aid provided by the US to Latin American countries at the beginning of the World War II. The institutionalisation of the concept of foreign aid and the forma- tion of an international consensus on the necessity of foreign aid to ensure sustainable development on a global scale corresponds with the years of World War II. Then again, as a historical turning point, World War II allowed foreign aid to enter international politics in the form of institutionalised practices. So much so that, following World War II, foreign aid was required to relieve the war’s devastating reper- cussions, secure Western Europe’s economic re-consolidation, and re-establish international stability and security. As a result of World War II, a bipolar world order emerged, and the US and the USSR began an unrelenting struggle to integrate addi- tional countries into their respective poles. To better understand Eu- rope’s situation in 1947, at the outset of the Cold War period, although the possibility of communist parties getting into power in Italy and France arose, countries such as East Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Romania gradually entered the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence. The Soviet Union’s (USSR) push on Türkiye to enhance its regional dominance, as well as Yugoslavia’s backing for the installation of a communist regime in Greece, exacerbated the US’s fears about the rising trend of Soviet influence in Europe. Eventually, on March 12, 1947, the President Truman administration of the US authorised an aid package of US$400 million, with US$100 million going to Türki- ye and US$300 million going to Greece. As part of the aid package known as the Truman Doctrine, a key step was taken to re-establish Europe’s wealth and security with the US$13 billion economic recov- ery programme known as the Marshall Plan. It should be noted that the concept of foreign aid began to assume its position in the inter- national system with these two aid packages. The power struggle be- 36 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY tween the US and the USSR essentially influenced foreign aid during this period, since it had been established that “aids are guided by po- litical and strategic considerations.” As a result of the course of history and the transformation within the international system, it is evident that countries other than the US and the USSR also gravitated towards foreign aid efforts. Although the US exerted enormous pressure on affluent countries in order to reduce its own burden in the allocation of foreign aid, it should be mentioned that European states and Japan had their own foreign aid dynamics. Because (as previous colonialist states), England and France needed to lend support to their colonies that were making strides toward de- claring independence in an effort to maintain their influence. From this vantage point, we may conclude that foreign aid was employed out of obligation for former colonialist states to protect their nation- al interests. Japan, on the other hand, concentrated on foreign aid because it was searching for raw materials and new markets, while Germany did the same in order to grow its exports. The sources of in- centive for Scandinavian countries to provide foreign aid was mould- ed by democracy, Christian heritage, and missionary efforts overseas, all of which were acknowledged as common values and norms. As a result, it was seen that in the 1960s, European countries and Japan began to form foreign aid organisations and extended their bilateral aid programmes. For instance, in 1961, France established the Min- istry of Cooperation, Germany established the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Japan established the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF), and Sweden estab- lished the Agency for International Assistance. Similarly, in 1965, the United Kingdom established the Ministry of Overseas Development, which institutionalised expanding overseas aid programmes. The Re- public of Türkiye’s foreign aid mission is to reach oppressed geogra- phies and those in need through humanitarian diplomacy; it is about lending Türkiye’s helping hand to the said geographies regardless of religion, language, or race. It would be appropriate to call attention to the fact that, during the first period when the concept of Western-oriented foreign aid was es- tablished, foreign aid was generally carried out in the form of direct, bilateral transfers between countries. The fact that the concept of THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 37 foreign aid has begun to occupy greater space on the agendas of gov- ernments has brought with it an increase in international coopera- tion. Over time, the need for international coordination of foreign aid emerged, and therefore multilateral aid institutions began to form. Particularly in continental Europe, as a consequence of the devas- tation caused by World War II, there was a huge need for foreign aid to be planned on an international basis and carried out under a specific programme in order to speed up the development process of war-torn states. Within that process, the establishment of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which would serve as the World Bank’s foundation, as well as foreign aid, is regard- ed as one of the earliest international projects aimed at carrying out development aid in a more planned and coordinated manner. Furthermore, the establishment of the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) in 1948 could be mentioned as the most significant step toward establishing a systematic frame- work for foreign aid. The OEEC, which may be regarded as the first regional organisation, was launched in order to identify the developmental needs of 16 European countries that met in Paris under the leadership of England and France. Noting the OEEC’s contributions to the implementation of the Marshall Plan, which was funded by the US, to remove the traces of World War II from Europe, the OEEC countries signed a convention on December 14, 1960, with the goal of spreading the organisation’s success around the world, and laid the groundwork for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and with the con- vention’s entrance into effect on September 30, 1961, the OECD was officially established. It would not be unreasonable to argue that the establishment of the OECD, which is the follow-up of the OEEC, was a cornerstone for professional foreign aid planning and implementation. Another watershed moment in foreign aid was the resolution adopt- ed at the UN General Assembly in 1970. Within the framework of the aforementioned resolution, which aimed to establish a benchmark for resource transfers to developing countries, OECD member states 38 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY Poland 22 November 1996 Portugal 4 August 1961 Slovakia 14 December 2000 Slovenia 21 July 2010 Spain 3 August 1961 Sweden 28 September 1961 Switzerland 28 September 1961 Türkiye 2 August 1961 United Kingdom 2 May 1961 United States 12 April 1961 COUNTRY DATE OF ACCESSION Australia 7 June 1971 Austria 29 June 1961 Belgium 13 September 1961 Canada 10 April 1961 Chile 7 May 2010 Czech Republic 21 December 1995 Denmark 30 May 1961 Estonia 9 December 2010 Finland 28 January 1969 France 7 August 1961 Germany 27 September 1961 Greece 27 September 1961 Hungary 7 May 1996 Iceland 5 June 1961 Ireland 17 August 1961 Israel 7 September 2010 Italy 29 March 1962 Japan 28 April 1964 Korea 12 December 1996 Latvia 1 July 2016 Luxembourg 7 December 1961 Mexico 18 May 1994 Netherlands 13 November 1961 New Zealand 29 May 1973 Norway 4 July 1961 Table 1. List of OECD Member Countries* *http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/list-oecd-member-countries.htm THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 39 that were deemed donors agreed and committed to allocating 0.7 per cent of their GDP as official development aid. Today, the OECD, with its current 35 members, is the most signifi- cant multilateral organisation operating within the framework of its mission to “create policies that will improve the social and economic status of people around the world.” C. Why is foreign aid allocated? As mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, states may be moti- vated to deliver foreign aid for a number of reasons. While some states want their foreign policy objectives to be realised, others send foreign aid to keep their former colonies from leaving their political sphere of influence. Few countries, such as the Republic of Türkiye, offer help to countries in need without any ulterior motive; it provides aid to deliver support to people in need; and it assists disadvantaged states in standing on their own. At this stage, it should be emphasised that humanitarian diplomacy is at the heart of the Republic of Türkiye’s foreign aid policy. In fact, while the COVID-19 pandemic swept the whole world, leaving several countries, particularly Italy, destitute, what was printed on assistance packages provided from Türkiye reflects the intellectual and spiritual aspects of the Republic of Türkiye’s foreign aid poli- cy. On the aid packages, the following saying of Rumi is imprint- ed: “There is hope after despair and many suns after darkness.” In this respect, the Republic of Türkiye, in addition to all other states, offers necessary assistance by extending a friendly hand to people in need through foreign aid. When we consider the Western-centric approach to foreign aid, we see that states engage in these activities for a variety of motives and circumstances. It is critical to investigate the groundwork established by the aforementioned motives and circumstances. According to one perspective, states are driven to provide aid for three reasons: (i) The first motive is connected to International Relations’ raison d’état. Ac- cording to this point of view, foreign aid refers to practices that be- gan during the colonial period and evolved through time in response 40 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY to the circumstances, but the colonial objectives remain at the heart of the approach. (ii) The second motive is related to the globalising world order. The growing elimination of borders in the globalizing world order has drawn attention to the income disparity between states. In this setting, issues such as regional wealth disparities, de- velopment levels, and social structure instability that result from these conditions, as well as the threat of terrorism, illegal migration, and epidemics, have been increasingly prominent on the agendas of countries. (iii) The third motive is economic. The primary issue here is whether poor countries can develop with aid. Some claim that the development of economies that have relied on foreign aid is more dif- ficult with their own internal dynamics, based on some of the criti- cisms levelled at foreign aid. While some countries have developed as a result of foreign aid, others have not developed, have not built their own dynamics, and have unavoidably fallen into the “poverty trap.” Another approach explains foreign aid as a representation of a coun- try’s foreign policy objectives by linking it to a secondary goal. This approach holds that countries’ use of foreign aid as a tool in their for- eign policies is based on their own socioeconomic, political, moral, and humanitarian criteria. Another perspective holds that the goal of foreign aid, particularly development aid, is to eliminate the income disparity between governments and to bridge the development gap between regions of the world, as indicated in the preceding lines. This viewpoint underpins the intention to guarantee communal security through balancing development levels. Foreign aid is important for donor countries in terms of exporting a positive image because it is an efficient instrument as a nation branding element. According to this perspective, foreign aid serves a diverse spectrum of military, political, financial, commercial, and psychological interests, frequently at the same time. Looking at the Western-centred foreign aid rhetoric, although hu- manitarian considerations to reduce global income inequality as well as conscientious motives requiring aid to people in distress or development in poor countries, appear to be at the heart of developed countries’ foreign aid to poor or underdeveloped countries, the whole truth is not limited to these reasons. Foreign policy and political rela- THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 41 tions, in fact, are the most critical determinants affecting aid flows of western-oriented donor countries. In this context, thanks to foreign aid, which plays a significant role in establishing cooperation and long-term relationships between states, cooperation between coun- tries strengthens, sympathy for the helping country grows, prejudices are eliminated, the donor country’s policies are more closely followed, and even positive discrimination is observed to approve these poli- cies. Foreign aid, on the other hand, which provides the foundation for the development of the ability to act together on both an individu- al and institutional basis, as well as the strengthening of coexistence notion, also plays an essential part in upholding shared values and keeping communication channels open with kin and relative commu- nities. Because the donor nations’ financial and material assistance is essen- tially a compensation for a shortcoming in the receiving country, the recipient countries naturally focus more on the donor states’ superi- or traits, which adds to the donor state being a centre of attraction. In the same vein, despite their limited resources and technologies in comparison to the superpowers, developing countries, in particular, participating in foreign aid activities, as well as taking immediate ac- tion in the face of regional conflicts and humanitarian crises, paves the way for these countries to be classified as regional and global ac- tors. In this setting, India and China’s increased contributions to UN peacekeeping operations, Brazil’s beginning to play a more active role in state-building in its region, especially in Haiti, and China’s contri- bution to climate change and global pandemics are all noteworthy, as well as Türkiye’s making itself heard and taking an aid-distributing stance, particularly in the face of humanitarian crises in Africa. When it comes to the reasons why developed countries send aid, it is believed that there are three main motives: (i) strategic socio-po- litical motives, (ii) commercial motives, and (iii) humanitarian and moral motives. The first motive, namely, the strategic socio-political motives of the sending states, has been discussed in the literature as the possibility of gaining the loyalty of the receiving state’s leaders by staying in touch, imposing or deepening a development model, consolidating that country’s economic, political, or military position, establishing a barrier to today’s major problems such as migration 42 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY and terrorism, and setting the economic and political agenda in inter- national institutions. So much so that, thanks to the aforementioned motives, it is argued that the state providing help might also gain po- litical support from people in its own country by making a favourable impression on voters with ethnic ties to the receiving country. Another aspect is that, donor countries acting with commercial mo- tives might gain access to new markets, feed the interests of a line of business in the country, and gain new trade and investment oppor- tunities by granting access to raw resources and inexpensive labour through foreign aid. Finally, it is stated that a state that offers foreign aid for humanitari- an and moral reasons might compensate for the harm by expressing sympathy to victims of war, turmoil, or natural disasters. By doing so the state demonstrates that it has a high moral position and may project a positive image both in its own country and in the recipient country, as well as garner the sympathy of a certain group by express- ing solidarity with them in its own country. It can be seen that foreign aid provides many benefits not only for the recipient countries but also for the donor countries. It should be emphasised that a state providing foreign aid can act for any the mo- tives mentioned above or for all of them at the same time. Because according to the Western-oriented foreign aid concept, it serves a di- verse spectrum of military, political, financial, commercial, and psy- chological interests, frequently at the same time. Foreign aid recipients may also require assistance to carry out their development plans, repay foreign debt, maintain internal stability, modernise their armed forces, or ensure national security. It is ob- served that recipient countries are able to accomplish certain goals, particularly those related to development, thanks to the foreign aid they receive. For example, recipient countries can stimulate econom- ic development by improving the infrastructure and manufacturing sectors, can strengthen their educational, health, environmental, and political systems, can meet their basic needs, mainly through human- itarian assistance, and stabilise their economies following economic crises. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 43 As a result, foreign aid has the potential to benefit both the donor and recipient countries in a wide variety of ways. It is critical for the achievement of sustainable development that this potential is appro- priately evaluated and managed and that aid is used effectively, espe- cially in the recipient countries. The preceding lines highlighted the complexity of conceptualising foreign aid. Another factor complicating the concept of foreign aid is the debate over its effectiveness. It is evident that in order for foreign aid to truly benefit underdeveloped or developing countries, a comprehensive evaluation of the countries to be assisted by donor countries is essential, as is the preparation of feasibility reports for these countries. It is critical to assess the true needs of the country to be aided and to send aid to the recipient as quickly as possible in order to maximize the benefit of the aid. Moreo- ver, including local elements of the recipient country in the foreign aid planning phase, particularly in non-governmental organisation-led foreign aid activities, increases the effectiveness of aids. On the oth- er hand, donor countries must cooperate and share information. Es- pecially when aid is provided directly between two coun- tries rather than through an interna- tional organisation, the knowledge and experience that a do- nor country, which has gained from pri- or aid initiatives in a particular country and has field expe- rience, will signifi- cantly contribute to the success of for- eign aid in a shorter period of time. 44 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY It is well-known that aid organisations have implemented a series of reforms in an attempt to dispel doubts about the effectiveness of foreign aid and the future of development assistance. Among these reforms, it should be noted that the result-oriented manage- ment approach, selectivity, and aid programs to be created on the basis of sector and strategy documents to combat poverty draw the most attention. As a result of the fact that the effectiveness of foreign aid has been the subject of increased debate in recent years, meetings have been held at specific periods to provide solutions. As a matter of fact, with the support of the Working Party on Aid Effectiveness of the Devel- opment Assistance Committee (DAC), the first of these meetings was held in Rome in 2003, under the name of the High Level Forum (HLF) on Aid Effectiveness. The following meetings were held in 2005 in Paris, 2008 in Accra, and 2011 in Busan. The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, adopted following the 2005 High Level Forum in Paris, appears as “an action-oriented road map aimed at improving THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 45 the quality of foreign aid and its impact on development.” The Dec- laration emphasises five basic principles for the effectiveness of aid: Ownership, Alignment, Harmonization, Results-based Management and Mutual Accountability. The principle of ownership implies that the recipient country will develop its own strategies for reducing poverty, strengthening its in- stitutions and fighting against corruption. The recipient country is expected to spread its own development strategy with the assistance of the country’s civil society and private sector; it is emphasised that “the recipient country should sit in the driver’s seat.” The principle of alignment requires donor countries to align their foreign aid with the recipient country’s development strategy and to promote the use of local systems in this process. This principle, which complements the principle of ownership, requires strengthening the recipient country’s institutional capacity and acting in accordance with the country’s national development strategy through the use of the country’s supply system. The principle of harmonisation entails coordination among donor countries, simplification of legal procedures, and information sharing in order to avoid the repeating of aids by different donor countries. On the other hand, the principle of results-based management implies that both developing recipient countries and donor countries should operate in a results-based manner and that the effectiveness of aid should be measured. This principle is critical because the results of the analysis assist decision-makers in developing new policies. Finally, by the principle of mutual accountability, it is meant that both the donor and recipient countries are mutually accountable for the efficiency and effectiveness of aid, as well as the ability to answer the question of how resources are used transparently. The Accra Agenda for Action (AAA), which was adopted in 2008 at the High Level Forum in Accra, Ghana’s capital, to strengthen and deepen the implementation of Paris Declaration, is also worth men- tioning because it focuses on capacity building and proposes better levels of ownership, partnership, and achieving results. Within the 46 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY framework of the Accra Agenda for Action, it was agreed that donor countries will provide prospective information about their planned aid to partner countries for periods ranging from three to five years, that partner country systems will be used as the first choice in the de- livery of aid rather than donor systems, that donor countries will not impose conditions on how and when recipient countries will spend the aid provided to them, and that the restrictions on developing countries’ ability to obtain the goods and services they require from the suppliers of their choice would be eased. To summarize, the concerns raised about the effectiveness of foreign aid required the careful planning and implementation of foreign aid. As a result of this requirement, efforts have been made to establish a principal framework that will guide both donor countries and inter- national organizations in their foreign aid activities. Many countries around the world are involved in the foreign aid pro- cess. Although foreign aid is given for a variety of reasons, the main one being a desire to improve human welfare, it can be said that the main motivation for aid allocations or aid restrictions is compliance with the donor country’s foreign policy objectives. Donor countries’ strategic and commercial interests are still being debated as the driv- ing force behind many aid programs. Given that the Western-orient- ed international system’s anarchic structure is designed as a process based on maximizing countries’ national interests, foreign aid be- comes a political tool for many states rather than an idealist effort. If we stick with the same point of view, foreign policy in the West- ern-oriented international system can be summarized as a country’s behaviour toward other states in the international arena as a result of the need to achieve its goals. States have several options for moving forward with their policy plans. Foreign aid, diplomacy, cooperation and association agreements, trade, economic sanctions, and military force are among the options available. As stated in the preceding lines, since the Westphalian order estab- lished the parameters of sovereign nation-states as the primary ac- tors in international relations, security studies have become multidi- mensional and more systematic, and the understanding of security has evolved. However, as international relations theories evolved in THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 47 the 20th century, the existence of non-state actors and sub-policy is- sues were gradually accepted. Over the last half-century, international aid has increased. At the end of World War II, there were numerous developments in international relations, such as the reconstruction of Europe. The establishment of major international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) signalled the beginning of an era of increasing multilateralism. In the 1950s, aid was mostly related to technical assistance, but it was also given to “fill trade and investment gaps.” Then, ten years later, help was given to meet “basic human needs.” During the debt crisis of the 1980s, aid was provided in the form of assisting in structural adjustment or debt relief, and the need for aid decreased during these years. “Humani- tarian aid combined with support for the rehabilitation of countries after civil wars” was seen in the 1990s. In the early twenty-first centu- ry, aid is now given to support human development, to contribute to the prevention of violent conflicts, as well as to “promote democratic governance.” In other words, aid appears to be tending towards in- strumentalisation in terms of foreign policy. The Guardian daily indicates the following in its news story regard- ing the foreign aid: “Foreign aid has become an indispensable tool of US foreign policy over the years. US leaders and policymakers view foreign aid as an essential tool of US foreign policy, increasingly asso- ciated with national security policy. For instance, foreign aid is given to Pakistan as a reward for certain behaviours or as an incentive to change behaviour as a foreign policy tool.” Foreign aid, as stated in the preceding lines, is used in the same way that the carrot and stick metaphor is used in Western-oriented inter- national relations. Ending aid can be used as a stick to intervene in the domestic and foreign policies of countries in need. Political lead- ers in the donor country make decisions on how, where, and when foreign aid is allocated. Some argue that foreign aid is primarily used to strengthen alliances or keep allied regimes in power. It is also used to keep friendly relations with foreign governments going. Aside from the different types of foreign aid and the methods used to deliver it, another important topic of discussion is the motivations that under- 48 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY pin aid policy. Certain motivations that guide donor countries’ foreign aid policy can be discussed. In other words, the critical question to be asked here is what motivates the donor countries’ policies. Clearly, the main axis in the discussions on the subject is whether foreign aid is shaped according to the needs of recipient countries or the polit- ical expectations of donor countries. Apart from the humanitarian dimension of foreign aid, as will be discussed in detail under the fol- lowing headings, it is sometimes seen that the factors that prioritize the maximization of national interest and power in Western-oriented foreign aid activities are the determining factors. D. Types of Foreign Aid In the world order that emerged after 1945, foreign aid began to be employed as a diplomacy tool in US-European relations, particularly on the basis of US Marshall Plan, and became widespread in interna- tional politics in the following years. In response to the increasing use of foreign aid in international politics, the OECD’s Development As- sistance Committee divided foreign aid into three primary categories: (i) Official Development Assistance: Aid in this category is the assis- tance given to poor and developing countries. (ii) Official Assistance: Aids in this category are those given to countries in a better economic position than those mentioned in the previous category (to countries with a per capita income of more than $9000), and particularly to for- mer USSR member-states. (iii) The third category of aid is aid given to non-state actors, i.e. non-profit structures such as non-governmental organisations. According to the criteria adopted by the Development Assistance Committee, the resources allocated for development can be consid- ered in two parts: a. concessional loans, b. non-concessional loans. While Concessional Loans refer to the loans that include the grant el- ement in the aid provided, Non-Concessional Loans refer to the loans offered at market terms and do not include the grant element. The categorisation of the concept of foreign aid per se is as complex as the concept itself. A type of aid may fall into more than one category based on the criteria used to categorise foreign aid. Foreign aids can be further divided into categories, such as project and programme aids based on their fields of allocation, bilateral aids and multilater- THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 49 al aids based on their sources, financial and technical aids based on their way of delivery, and tied and untied aids based on their usage procedure. As a concept, foreign aid essentially refers to a broad spectrum. As stated above, many different types of aid are categorised within the spectrum of foreign aid; Official Development Assistance stands out among these categories. Official Development Assistance, as a type of foreign aid prioritised by the OECD, is development assistance of- fered from one state to another as a diplomacy tool. This type of aid is aimed at capacity development such as financial support, project development, infrastructure aids, and technical aid, based on public resources, depending on state support. The feature of Official Devel- opment Assistance that distinguishes it from other types of foreign monetary aid is that it includes a grant element. In this context, Of- ficial Development Assistance has the aspect of contributing to the advancement of diplomatic relations between countries. Because both the fact that this aid type aims to improve the infrastructure and capacity of the aid-receiving state and that it includes a grant element, allows the diplomatic relations between the aid donor and aid recipient country to develop in a positive direction. A sub-unit under the name of the Development Assistance Com- mittee (DAC) has been established within the OECD, since keeping the statistical data is of great importance for the professional man- agement of foreign aid as well as for the healthy implementation of development aids. Working as a performance monitoring and evaluation board in its essence, DAC makes statistical evaluations of the data on donor countries and countries receiving aid, making a significant contribution to precise monitoring of the allocation of development aids across varying sectors and to the more effective planning of future aid efforts. Of the 35 OECD member countries, 29 are also members of the DAC. Six countries, including Estonia, Israel, Latvia, Mexico, Chile and Türkiye, abstain from joining the DAC at this stage. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), founded in 1965, is another instance of the international institutionalisation of foreign aid. The UNDP, which arose from the merger of the United 50 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY Nations (UN) Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (UNEP- TA), founded in 1949, and the UN Special Fund, has centred its efforts on sustainable development, democratic governance and peacebuild- ing, as well as coping with natural disasters and climate. In order to tackle the challenges faced by undeveloped and develop- ing countries, it is crucial that a global struggle is waged and that in- ternational actors work together and in harmony. In this regard, the “proclamation of the Millennium Declaration by 147 heads of state or government at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2000, recognising their ‘collective responsibility for bolstering the princi- ples of human dignity, equality, and well-being on a global scale’”, is a crucial step in raising public awareness. The Millennium Develop- ment Goals, which were announced in the same year as the Millen- nium Declaration and prepared in line with it, have a unique signifi- cance in that every nation has committed to taking action to achieve these goals, and basically refers to the approval of the foreign aid goals provided by developed countries before the UN by other nations. The goals set under eight broad topics within the scope of the Millennium Development Goals, such as eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving mater- nal health, combatting HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, ensur- ing environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development firmly align with the goals that are attempted to be attained by foreign aid delivered to underdeveloped countries. In the process of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, interna- tional initiatives such as the “Monterrey Consensus” and the “Paris Declaration” have led to the introduction of new aid-effectiveness-en- hancing concepts and principles. It is noteworthy that the standard measure, which was attempted to be established in 1970, to provide official development assistance to countries in need of official de- velopment assistance at a rate of 0.7 per cent of their Gross Nation- al Income by donor states with the Monterrey Consensus, has been brought back to the agenda in terms of reminding donor countries of their responsibilities. Foreign aid is as difficult to categorise as it is to define. A type of aid can fall into more than one category depending on the criteria used THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 51 to categorise it. Governmental aid and non-governmental aid are the two primary groups that arise when foreign aid is categorised accord- ing to the institutions that provide it. Foreign aid is also classified as bilateral aid and multilateral aid based on the method in which it is supplied to the recipient state. In bilateral aid, the donor country delivers the aid directly to the recipient country, “allowing for easi- er direct cooperation with the countries receiving aid”. In contrast, multilateral aid involves the delivery of aid from donor countries to recipient countries via an international entity. In this regard, since the aid offered by a single country is joined with that of other donor countries, its impact is amplified. Other advantages of multilateral aid include “increased transparency and quality, as well as a reduc- tion in choices driven by the self-interests of individual donors”. It is also feasible to group based on the nature of the aid. For instance, tied aid is a type of aid that stipulates the purchase of goods and services from donor countries or countries designated by donor countries. Categorisation might also be based on how the aid is utilised. In ad- dition to budget aids provided through direct cash transfers, this category also includes credit aids provided through the provision of concessional loans. Alternatively, if the aid is categorised according to its content, it is feasible to divide foreign aid into subcategories such as economic, technical, military, and humanitarian. It is also possible to discuss official development aid, a subcategory of foreign aid developed by the OECD. Apart from military aid, Official Devel- opment Assistance, which includes concessional loans and direct investments, is an umbrella term that encompasses all of the afore- mentioned forms of assistance. E. What is Humanitarian Diplomacy as a Type of Foreign Aid? Unquestionably, regional and global wars, socio-economic and po- litical crises and natural disasters constitute the most fundamental breaking points in human history. On the basis of these specific oc- currences, people may require help as a result of the events. In this context, as in the preceding cases, states provide aid to people in need and offer aid to those in need outside their borders. The Turk- ish Language Association (TDK) provides two definitions of human- itarian aid. Humanitarian aid, according to the first definition, is 52 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY “assistance offered to meet the basic requirements of humans, such as health, shelter, etc., during natural disasters.” According to the sec- ond definition, it is defined as “any help given for the best.” While the Republic of Türkiye’s foreign policy is based on its understanding of humanitarian diplomacy, its foreign aid policy is guided by the motto “Türkiye’s friendly hand extends to those in need.” In the preceding lines, we have mentioned that the history of humani- ty is shaped on the ground of fractures. When we examine the history of Continental Europe, it is seen that migrations owing to wars, social and political instability, displaced populations, controlled famines, pandemics and many other human tragedies have been experienced. In this regard, European states have signed a number of international accords to protect the victims of these tragedies and have aimed to protect human rights in accordance with particular legal principles. As a matter of fact, the Geneva Convention, which is a manifestation of these efforts, appears as an important document written in 1864 on the law of war, that is, on the protection of the rights of civilians in wartime. As stated in the preceding paragraphs, the fact that mass occurrences such as wars and natural disasters, of which people are victims, are increasingly appearing on the international political agenda, has al- lowed humanitarian aid to gain a prominent position within the spec- trum of foreign aid. It is evident that some progress has been made in humanitarian aid, particularly as a result of the two world wars in continental Europe. In reality, the “Save the Children!” movement, which was founded in England as an international non-governmen- tal organisation, can be shown as the first step taken in Europe in this regard. F. Türkiye and Humanitarian Diplomacy The pioneering steps of the transformation of the strategic approach to security in Türkiye towards the discussion of the security of the in- dividual were influenced by the changes in global politics in the early 1990s, because in a world order in which the Soviet Union was dis- solved, new Turkish foreign policy steps were taken on the basis of re- gional orientations. To such an extent that, throughout the Cold War, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 53 Türkiye’s activities in the international system took place along the axis of Westernism in foreign policy, particularly in Western Bloc and NATO membership. Even though it has occasionally been harmed by its Western-oriented foreign policy (e.g., the Johnson Letter and the Jupiter Missile Crisis) and is isolated in the international arena (e.g., the embargoes imposed after the Cyprus Peace Operation), the US-NATO-West axis has been the predominant tendency in foreign policy. Obviously, the main driver behind this mindset was the belief that only NATO membership would ensure Türkiye’s national secu- rity against the Soviet threat. As highlighted in the preceding lines, it has been noticed that this forecast has sometimes proven to be un- true with regard to certain foreign policy events, such as the relevant clauses in the Johnson Letter. In this background, at the beginning of the 1990s, when the Soviet Union was dissolved, in a world where the Soviet threat ceased to exist, the Republic of Türkiye achieved some major advances in its foreign policy. Then-president Turgut Özal tried to develop relations with the former Eastern Bloc countries, proposed the formation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation (BSEC), and con- stantly emphasised the need to assume responsibility on internation- al platforms for the conflicts in the Balkans, as well as the urgency of an international intervention. One of the pillars of the foreign policy change was the cooperation and partnerships to be established with the Turkic Republics in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, who had just gained their independence from the Soviet Union. Because Turkish foreign policy opened the possibility of competing with Rus- sia over these regions, rather than accepting Russian dominance, as had been the case since the War of Independence. Since this new ap- proach is built not only on the establishment of interstate relations but also on development of human and cultural ties, it brought to light the concept of human security, which is included in the defini- tion of strategic security, as well as the humanitarian diplomacy it contains and its applications. Although they could not be completely fulfilled due to budgetary constraints, the humanitarian diplomacy activities initiated during this time period had the function of shap- ing the future course of the next governments. In this regard, it would be useful to briefly discuss the evolution of Türkiye’s initiatives in the field of humanitarian diplomacy. 54 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY Türkiye’s initiatives on humanitarian diplomacy began with its aid activities in parallel with the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in the 1980s and have been shaped by official aid planning ac- tivities under the State Planning Organization (DPT). However, inter- national assistance activities could not be carried out until 1992 due to a lack of a regulating authority in the field regarding the insuffi- ciency of aid quantity and diversity. Furthermore, with the establish- ment of the Turkish Cooperation and Development Administration Directorate, now the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), in 1992, Türkiye’s humanitarian diplomacy initiatives were limited to neighbouring regions. Due to the political and economic uncertainty in Türkiye, as well as the economic instability and con- flicts in the aforementioned two regions, Türkiye’s foreign aid was not able to reach the desired levels. With the entrustment of TIKA to the Prime Ministry in 1999, it was envisioned to increase and diversify aid, as well as broaden the geographical scope of activities. In addi- tion, Türkiye’s significance in humanitarian diplomacy increased af- ter 2003, i.e. under the AK Party government. Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Republic of Türkiye became one of the countries that prioritised the humanitarian dimension in diplomacy, and as a result of its humani- tarian diplomacy activities, and as the leading country of the ummah, it was named the world’s most generous country. Certain aspects that influence the implementation of humanitarian diplomacy initiatives and the provision of foreign aid in this context by Western-based actors must be underlined at this point. The prom- inent aspects that stand out include ensuring the development and economic self-sufficiency of the recipient country, expecting access to natural resources in and political support from underdeveloped countries in pursuit of political, economic and strategic benefits for the donor country, as well as closing the savings gap and foreign ex- change deficit, providing financial support for the realisation of do- mestic investment, encouraging imports from the donor country to recipient country in cases where conditional aid is given, and focus- ing on nations with historical and cultural commonalities as opposed to random geographies while realising them. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 55 Under the assumption that foreign aid was the dominant component of the Republic of Türkiye within the framework of its humanitarian diplomacy, it must always be remembered that the Republic of Tür- kiye has initiated technical assistance programmes for developing and least developed countries since the mid-1980s despite the fact that Türkiye was still receiving official development assistance dur- ing that time; and after 1992, its aid to culturally connected regions such as South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Balkans, constituted 0.17% of the gross national income for the first time in the history of the Republic. In other words, the Republic of Türkiye took certain steps at the beginning of the 1990s on the initiative of then-President Turgut Özal. Today, thanks to our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership and the humanitarian aid activities carried out world- wide based on Türkiye’s humanitarian diplomacy, Türkiye’s name, and the glorious Turkish flag fly in all oppressed geographies and regions in need. In line with its reputation as the most generous nation, Türkiye gives overseas help not just during times of natural disasters but also through its humanitarian diplomacy. By delivering emergency assis- tance to Southeast Asia following the tsunami tragedy at the end of 2004, to Pakistan following the earthquake in 2005, and to Lebanon due to the internal turmoil in 2006, Türkiye provided the most sig- nificant official development foreign aid ever recorded. As a manifes- tation of its humanitarian diplomacy, the Republic of Türkiye offered humanitarian aid to those in need, particularly through TIKA, the Turkish Red Crescent, AFAD, and the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation after the Gaza Crisis at the end of 2008, the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and the flood in Pakistan in 2010, the earthquake in Japan in 2011, the typhoon in the Philippines in 2013, the flood in the Balkans and the attacks on Gaza in 2014, the earthquake in Nepal and the conflict-related humanitarian crises in Iraq in 2015, the humanitari- an crisis in Yemen and Libya in 2015 and 2016, and the flood in Mac- edonia in 2016. According to a report by the UK-based organisation Development In- itiatives, the Republic of Türkiye became the most generous country in the world and the country that offers the most humanitarian aid in the world in 2019, with its aid exceeding US$7 billion. In this re- 56 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY gard, its humanitarian aid, which accounts for 0.85 per cent of its na- tional output, has made it the “most generous country.” In addition to state aid, the Turkish Red Crescent, which has the most extensive and rooted history among NGOs in Türkiye, operates in remote regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and even the Caribbean (Haiti). On the other hand, in addition to being active in the West, humanitarian aid-providing NGOs have endeavoured to expand their operations to Northern Iraq, Iraq, and Palestine. Despite the fact that the anticipat- ed results have not yet been achieved due to security issues in these regions, it is evident that these activities are significant in demon- strating the organisation’s initiative to expand its field of activity as a well-established NGO representing the business world. Humanitarian aid is defined in a variety of ways in the mainstream literature on international relations. Humanitarian aid and its effec- THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 57 tiveness through logistical arrangements vary among continents, regions, and countries. Consequently, it has been found that donor countries do not always provide aid in the face of major and urgent disasters. Additionally, domestic policies, cultural norms, and expec- tation levels are other aspects that affect humanitarian aid. Despite the fact that these issues, which impede the delivery of humanitari- an aid, have resulted in an increase in the death rate among disaster survivors in emergencies, this scenario has brought the humanitari- an aid policies, diplomacy, and other approaches and reforms to the spotlight. In the international relations literature, there are many conceptual definitions related to the definition of humanitarian aid; however, it would be a more correct approach to consider “humanity” issues in humanitarian and foreign aid. In fact, some humanitarian aid is typ- ically provided following events that have devastating consequences (such as natural disasters) and claim the lives of many people (such as epidemics like the COVID-19 pandemic) and pose a threat to the rest of the population. The aid is delivered to the developing coun- tries due to their lack of logistics, resources, skills, and expertise, and many humanitarian aid examples are activated or mobilized in devel- oping countries to respond to needs and protect human dignity as a result of their limited logistics, resources, skills and expertise. Over the last decade, major events in the United States, the United King- dom, and Japan have necessitated specific humanitarian assistance to the United States. Major incidents requiring humanitarian assis- tance are frequently distinguished by their causes, degree of com- plexity, and number of victims. The devastating effects of emergen- cies, particularly on the most vulnerable people, and the subsequent risks to life make humanitarian aid even more critical. As a result, it is understood that the primary goal of humanitarian aid is to save as many lives as possible, alleviate people’s suffering, and protect hu- man dignity. As part of this definition, Japanese humanitarian aid policies also emphasize the importance of security component of the mentioned humanitarian aid in order to ensure human security. The operations required to alleviate suffering, protect human dig- nity, and save lives can only be carried out with the coordination of varying levels of domestic and international humanitarian support 58 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATION BRANDING AND FOREIGN AID | 59 and assistance. The reason for this is that humanitarian aid must be carried out in accordance with the policies or factors in place prior to the disaster. Because such policies are intangible and nonphysical and can only be changed by changes in government, they can only be jeopardized by disaster’s effects but cannot be completely erased by it. Given this reality, rapid humanitarian assistance cannot always be mobilized simply, directly, or easily in many situations. However, this dynamic can exacerbate existing issues, which are particularly preva- lent in developing countries with limited infrastructure, government policies, and social systems. 60 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FOREIGN AID PROVIDED BY THE REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE | 61 H i s t o r i c a l D e v e l o p m e n t o f F o r e i g n A i d P r o v i d e d b y t h e R e p u b l i c o f T ü r k i y e 0 4 I t would not be wrong to say that the country practically met the concept of foreign aid within the framework of the Truman Doc- trine, which was implemented by the United States following World War II, with financial assistance provided to Greece and the Republic of Türkiye. In the years that followed, including during the Cold War, the Republic of Türkiye continued to receive foreign aid from international institutions such as the IMF and the EU, as well as its ally, the United States. Türkiye, a long-standing recipient of foreign aid, is part of a US$10 million aid package provided by the State Planning Organization (DPT) to Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Soma- lia, and Sudan for institutional capacity building, through which it launched its own foreign aid program on June 5, 1985. Turkish foreign aid, which began with food shipments, diversified in terms of quanti- ty, quality, and geography it addresses in the years that followed. The dynamism seen in Turkish foreign policy in recent years has had a significant impact on Turkish foreign aid; both Turkish foreign policy and foreign aid geography have diversified and expanded at the same time. Today, Türkiye continues to support many countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and America through project and program support, technical cooperation, scholarship, refugee support, and emergency aid. The foundation of Turkish foreign aid’s expansion is Türkiye’s 62 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY desire to “make more effective arrangements for the establishment of a more equal and fair international order.” In recent years, the foreign aid provided by the Republic of Türkiye has increased significantly in tandem with its expanding economy and effectiveness in the international arena. Türkiye has increased its foreign aid amount 30 fold in the last decade and has set an example in the field of humanitarian diplomacy. Türkiye, which increased the amount of official development aid it provided the most in 2011 and 2012 compared to the previous year, broke the record in 2012 by in- creasing the amount of aid it provided by 98 percent. In fact, accord- ing to the Development Initiatives’ 2013 Global Humanitarian Assis- tance Report, Türkiye was the third-largest provider of humanitarian aid after the United States and the United Kingdom. According to the Global Humanitarian Assistance Report, Türkiye surpassed the US as the world’s second largest donor country in 2015, with official hu- manitarian aid totalling US$ 3.2 billion; the same year, it was named the “most generous country in the world,” allocating 0.37 percent of its national income to humanitarian aid. To put it another way, Tür- kiye’s official humanitarian aid of US$ 3.2 billion in 2015 equates to 11 percent of all aid collected globally in the same year. In the 2018 Glob- al Humanitarian Assistance Report, Türkiye was named the most generous country in the world after donating the highest amount of humanitarian aid with US$ 8.14 billion. The ongoing crisis in Syria has been the main decisive factor of Türki- ye’s recent activities in the field of humanitarian aid. In this context, Türkiye maintained its open-door policy toward Syrians fleeing the war in their country and continued to provide temporary protection to all Syrians who took refuge in Türkiye without discrimination, in accordance with its international humanitarian law duties. The over- all number of Syrian refugees in Türkiye exceeded 2,8 million in Jan- uary 2017. The Republic of Türkiye has carried out numerous other humanitari- an relief activities in recent years other than Syrians for whom it pro- vides temporary protection. Türkiye has stood with people who have been affected by disasters in both adjacent countries and faraway lands, such as the Southeast Asian earthquake in 2004, the Pakistan HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FOREIGN AID PROVIDED BY THE REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE | 63 earthquake in 2005, the Haiti and Chile earthquakes in 2010, and the flood disaster in Pakistan again in 2010, the earthquake in Japan in 2011, the typhoon in the Philippines in 2013, the flood disaster in the Balkans in 2014, the earthquake in Nepal in 2015, and finally the flood disaster in Macedonia in 2016, and immediately extended a helping hand to the victims. Apart from natural disasters, Türkiye also took action in the face of humanitarian crises that broke out in Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, and conducted aid operations towards these countries. As can be seen from the examples given above, Türkiye acts in line with the understanding that humanitarian aid and other develop- ment aids are critical elements for the stabilization of international community and long-term sustainability of this stability, as a result of the realization that, with globalization, even regional problems have the potential to affect the entire world by crossing national borders. In line with this understanding, the Republic of Türkiye works to sup- ply humanitarian relief as rapidly as possible to wherever it is need- ed, regardless of religion, language, race, or gender, and contributes to international efforts in this regard. Türkiye uses multilateral organizations as well as bilateral aid to im- plement the notion of foreign aid. One of the best examples is Türkiye being among the founding members of the Organization for Econom- ic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Similarly, Türkiye contrib- utes to international humanitarian relief initiatives through working with international organizations such as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Program (WFP), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), thus adding an international dimension to its humanitarian aid activities and adopts an approach towards increasing its coop- eration with international organizations day by day. Türkiye, for ex- ample, which hosted the United Nations Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Summit in Istanbul in 2011, has pledged to provide at least US$ 200 million per year to LDCs, demonstrating its commitment to foreign aid. Türkiye also hosted the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), held for the first time as a result of the personal initiative of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, which is the latest exam- ple of Türkiye’s support for international efforts to overcome the bot- 64 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY tleneck in the global humanitarian system and to build a more just and effective system. The Summit, which took place in Istanbul on May 23-24, 2016, was convened in a multi-stakeholder format with participation from heads of state and government, international or- ganizations, non-governmental organizations, the academic commu- nity, the private sector and representatives of the societies affected by the crisis, and it has provided a forum for a comprehensive discussion of the issues aimed at overcoming the various difficulties that global humanitarian system faces under current conditions. The WHS was named the largest UN Summit held outside of New York, with the largest number of countries participating at the same time. It was attended by approximately 9,000 people, including all stakeholders. The summit, which was hosted by Türkiye for the first, became the most tangible sign of Türkiye’s leading role in humanitar- ian aid, both with its organization and its high level of participation, and boosted the country’s image. Eventually, as a result of the inter- national aid it has offered in recent years and the sensitivity it has shown in this respect, the Republic of Türkiye has become a beacon of hope for humanity as the world’s most charitable country. FOREIGN AIDS IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY | 65 F o r e i g n A i d s i n T u r k i s h F o r e i g n P o l i c y : H u m a n i t a r i a n D i p l o m a c y 0 5 F oreign aid is the name given to a process in which several countries participate as recipients or donors. In fact, due to wars, natural disasters, or emergency situations, numerous states have on occasion required assistance. The heads of state sought outside assistance in order to get out of this situation and take steps towards the development of the country. From the pre-republican era until the present, the Republic of Türkiye has been a place where people of all languages, religions, and races have lived together and was viewed as a safe haven. As a result, many people fleeing the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, Muslims and Jews dis- patched from Spain in the 15th century, those forced to flee the Crimea in the 18th century due to Russian occupation, and those seeking shel- ter throughout history found refuge in this geography. Türkiye has a long history of humanitarian aid as a result of its historical and cul- tural traditions, dating back to the Ottoman Empire. As a result, the Republic of Türkiye considers assisting those in need a humanitarian obligation and a crucial component of stability of international com- munity, regardless of the circumstances, such as wars, natural disas- ters, or epidemics. Due to its deteriorated social and economic situation following the World Wars, the Republic of Türkiye felt the need for foreign aid, and received it from both the global powers the United States and the Soviet Union, from time to time. Subsequently, it has evolved into a country that provides aid. Türkiye has risen to become one of the 66 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY world’s most important donor countries, particularly since 2003, and has gradually accelerated to the point where, thanks to the aid it has supplied, it has been awarded the title of the most generous country. When looking at Türkiye’s history of foreign aid, it is clear that the Turkish Red Crescent has played a significant role. In the aftermath of natural disasters in Iraq and Syria in the late 1960s, it conducted significant work on humanitarian aid delivery to these countries. In 1972, the Turkish Red Crescent responded to a flood disaster in Af- ghanistan by providing humanitarian aid. The acceleration of the Re- public of Türkiye’s international aid is, of course, due to the mobility achieved by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TI- KA) after 2003. The human-oriented approach has been prioritised in Turkish foreign policy by the AK Party government, which came to power in 2003 under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Er- doğan. As a result, Türkiye’s humanitarian diplomacy approach has earned a position in not only Türkiye’s diplomatic history but also in global political history. Humanitarian aid, which began with food shipments and spread to many parts of the world in the past decade, has become more diverse in terms of quantity and quality and has expanded to include fields other than food aid. Even non-governmental organisations have embraced various practices in development aid, especially in recent years. Türkiye has only recently begun its sustainable foreign aid ac- tivities, taking into account the local needs of the regions. Until the 1990s, Türkiye was the recipient of aid, but now it has become one of the top donors. Through official and civil aid organisations, Türki- ye reaches those affected by disasters and wars in many parts of the world. Türkiye, which spent $1.6 billion on humanitarian aid in 2013, was the third-largest donor after the United States and the United Kingdom. Türkiye is the country that offers the most humanitarian aid in the world compared to its economic power, according to a rat- ing based on the ratio of aid supplied to the country’s GNP. Türkiye’s aid, according to some circles, is distinct from that of other actors. Unlike Western countries, Türkiye does not impose political conditions to its development assistance and does not interfere in the recipient’s internal affairs. Türkiye’s approach is viewed as extreme- ly valuable by underdeveloped countries that have been subjected FOREIGN AIDS IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY | 67 Figure 1. Largest Donors (Devinit.org). 20 contributors of the largest amounts of humanitarian assistance in terms of dollars, governments and EU institutions, 2017 to neoliberal policies in return for decades of aid. As a result, Türki- ye has gained prestige in the eyes of underdeveloped countries. The most important aspect of Türkiye’s soft power is its prestige. The growing global crises, together with Türkiye’s and its people’s sensitivity to the situation, have propelled Türkiye to the forefront in this regard. In fact, the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) was held in Istanbul on the 23rd and 24th of May 2016, hosted by Türkiye, on the personal initiative of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. At the level of Heads of State and Government, 55 of the Summit’s 180 mem- ber countries participated, while more than 60 ministers and more than 40 international organisations participated at the level of Secre- tary-General/President. The overall number of people who attended the Summit, including other stakeholders, was over 9,000. With this level of participation, WHS has been named the largest UN Summit conducted outside of New York, with the largest number of countries participating at the same time (Türkiye’nin Uluslararası Acil, 2019). 68 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY Another reason Türkiye is at the forefront of foreign aid is the number of foreign representations it has. One of these representations, TIKA, was founded to provide direct development aid. Türkiye, in fact, is the fifth country in the world with the most foreign representations, with 92 in Europe, 70 in Asia, 44 in Africa, 29 in America, and 4 in Oceania. The top 20 humanitarian aid donors around the world for 2017 are listed in the figure above. The 2018 Global Humanitarian Report was released on June 19, 2018, by London’s “Development Initiatives” Global Humanitarian Program. According to the report containing global data for 2017, Türkiye is rated as a leading country, with a value of $8.07 billion humanitarian aid. Türkiye is followed by the United States ($6.68 billion), Germany ($2.99 billion), the United Kingdom ($2.52 billion), and the European Union ($2.24 billion). According to the report, Türkiye, as the world’s most generous nation, maintains its lead by 0.85% of national income and humanitarian aid. With 0.17% in aid, Norway and Luxembourg follow Türkiye’s leading position. These results were achieved through humanitarian aid and official development aid organisations in Türkiye. Türkiye’s foreign aid is mostly funded by TIKA, the Presidency of Religious Affairs, the Turkish Red Crescent, and other NGOs. The Presidency of Religious Affairs organises large-scale campaigns during times of natural dis- asters and crises in friendly and brotherly nations, and announces and promotes these efforts in all mosques. A. Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) From its founding until the end of the Cold War, the Republic of Tür- kiye had limited contact with the Turkic Republics of the Soviet Un- ion. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Türkiye took significant steps by making radical decisions to strengthen bilateral relations with the Turkic republics in question. The first and possibly most crucial of these significant steps was the establishment of the Turk- ish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in 1992, under the leadership of Umut Arık and in accordance with Turgut Özal’s vision. Türkiye’s relations with the aforementioned Turkic Republics re- mained limited in the world order in which the Soviet Union existed, and the intended steps could not be taken. However, one of the sig- FOREIGN AIDS IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY | 69 nificant stages noted above was the formation of TIKA in the early 1990s, when the Soviet Union dissolved and the bipolar world order came to an end. TIKA, in particular, conducted crucial research on co- operative projects, infrastructure, and technical support when it was first established in order to speed up relations between the Turkic Republics and Türkiye. TIKA, which was established as an international technical support organisation affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the decision of the Council of Ministers dated January 24, 1992, and the Statutory Decree-Law No. 480, which was published in the Official Gazette numbered 21124 and dated January 27, 1992, began carrying out its activities under the Prime Ministry on May 28, 1999. Türkiye has begun initiatives with TIKA in order to take advantage of the new opportunities arising in the former Soviet region and to reintegrate with its relatives from whom it has been distanced for years; in this regard, TIKA has assumed the role of an organisation that will imple- ment and coordinate the operations and foreign policy priorities to be carried out. In fact, in accordance with Law No. 4668, TIKA has been tasked with developing institutional cooperation and maintaining an inventory of aids in the regulation of foreign aid to be made by insti- 70 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY tutions and organisations in Türkiye. Furthermore, in the first article of the abovementioned law, TIKA’s roles are defined as follows: “As- sisting in the development of countries and communities, particular- ly in republics and communities where the Turkish language is spo- ken, as well as countries neighbouring Türkiye and other developing countries; developing economic, commercial, technological, social, cultural, and educational cooperation with these countries and com- munities through projects and programs; establishment of the Turk- ish Cooperation and Development Administration Directorate, which is affiliated with the Prime Ministry and has its own legal entity, in order to carry out the aid and transactions to be made, and regulating the procedures and principles regarding its organisation and duties.” In the last period, Türkiye has been taking significant steps in terms of technical support and foreign aid activities to countries in its geog- raphy, thanks to its advanced economic status. Foreign aid is clearly one of the practices of the Republic of Türkiye’s public diplomacy ap- proach. In this context, researches show that foreign aid is regarded as a significant foreign policy instrument in the international system. As for TIKA, it is the flagship of a fleet of soft power instruments that embodied the new discourse developed in Türkiye’s AK Party govern- ment and Turkish foreign policy; because Türkiye, based on paral- lel activities through TIKA around foreign policy initiatives and our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s 2023, 2053, and 2071 visions, has taken firm steps toward becoming the centre and leading country of the international system, rather than the peripheral country within the Western Bloc during the Cold War era. It is possible to evaluate TIKA in two different periods, 1992-2002 and 2002-2013, by examining the activities it has undertaken since its es- tablishment in 1992. The institution operated to provide technical support to newly independent states in the former Soviet geography, especially the Caucasus and Central Asia, between 1992 and 2002, when it was established and might be called its development period. 2241 projects were carried out during a ten-year period, between 1992 and 2002. It can be seen that TIKA signed nearly four times as many projects between 2003 and 2011. Within the scope of 2011 works, the following countries utilised the most resources: (1) Afghanistan: 20,61%, (2) Bosnia and Herzegovina: 6,76%, (3) Palestine: 5,47%, and (4) Lebanon: 3,89%. FOREIGN AIDS IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY | 71 TIKA’s name was changed from the “Turkish Cooperation and De- velopment Administration Directorate” to the “Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency” in accordance with the new regulations. As stated in the preceding lines, it would be appropriate to evaluate the position of TIKA from its establishment to the present within the context of two different time periods. It is because TIKA’s funding and mobility have expanded under the leadership of the AK Party and our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which came to power in 2003. In comparison to 1992 to 2002, the funding allotted to TIKA between 2003 and 2013 increased by about five times, and as of 2011, $1,273,000,000 in aid was delivered to over one hundred countries. As the German Corporation for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit-GIZ), one of TIKA’s most powerful equivalents in the world, has an annual turnover of $2.6 billion; it’s worth noting that TIKA has nearly tripled this figure as of 2011. Furthermore, it is highlighted that TIKA is active through- out the Middle East and the Balkans, particularly in South and Cen- tral Asia; as an activity field, it provides a diverse variety of services ranging from health to education, agriculture to infrastructure. In addition, it is important to note that not only Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan but also Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Somalia are included in the scope of TIKA’s ac- tivities under the proactive approach of Turkish foreign policy. To be more precise, TIKA outgrew the areas in which it was operating when it was established and has brought the scope of its field of activity to a global level, just as Turkish foreign policy has reached a global level TIKA, through the Humanitarian Diplomacy, which is the new discourse dominating Turkish foreign policy, makes significant contributions to its neighbouring geographies, with its critical role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, but its projects and ac- tivities, such as drilling water wells, laying water pipes to meet the urgent need of clean water supply of countries in Africa and meet- ing the urgent needs of shelter and food of the disaster-stricken countries, also contribute significantly to the institutionalisation process of these countries. In fact, the technical support and for- eign aid provided through completed projects contribute to the establishment of cordial and beneficial relations between Türkiye 72 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY and the countries receiving these services. Likewise, as an exten- sion of the active and multidimensional understanding of foreign policy, the institution’s main objective is to reach the heart of his- torical and cultural depth, primarily in the countries where the Turkic languages are spoken. Musa Kulaklıkaya, one of the former Presidents of TIKA, provided the following example in an inter- view with Zeynep Gürcan of the Hürriyet Newspaper to illustrate the positive impact of TIKA’s activities on the local population: “When we were working on a cultural project in Macedonia, I attended the ceremony held for the project. At one point, I left the protocol and started a conversation with an elderly Macedo- nian lady, mingling with the public. I said, “Madam, do you have a problem, or a request?”. The old lady said: “We had a water prob- lem, my child. But a man called TIKA came. He brought water to our village. May Allah bless that TIKA guy...” Evidently, the soft power of state identity that the Republic of Türkiye is trying to establish in the international arena is gaining ground as a result of TIKA’s activities. FOREIGN AIDS IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY | 73 Hakan Fidan, one of the former TIKA Presidents, stated that the activ- ities carried out by TIKA also include training, courses and seminars in the context of developing trained manpower and infrastructures; he emphasised that the public administrators of the Autonomous Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation, the staff of the Al- banian Export Promotion Agency, and the experts of the Uzbekistan Presidential State Association and Foundation Academy were trained together with other institutions in Türkiye and that TIKA also con- tributed to the institutionalisation in the countries it supported. With the assistance of TIKA’s activities and projects, Türkiye exhibits a broadening foreign policy starting from Central Asia and the Cauca- sus region to other parts of the world, such as Eastern Europe and Af- rica. In this context, TIKA is referred to as “Türkiye’s friendly hand.” As mentioned in the preceding lines, the increase in Program Coor- dination Offices is another indication that TIKA acted more actively and vigorously after 2003; in fact, it increased the number of Program Coordination Offices from twelve in 2002 to twenty-five in 2011, and thirty-three in 2012. In this context, TIKA operates with thirty-three Program Coordination Offices in thirty cooperation partner countries as of 2012. As of 2022, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency Presidency operates in 150 countries with its 62 Program Co- ordination Offices in 60 countries. Adhering to the active and princi- pled foreign policy followed by the Republic of Türkiye, the number of countries we work with is increasing day by day. Projects and activities carried out on the African continent, which previously played a relatively minor role in Turkish foreign policy, can be interpreted as the benefit of the new dominant paradigm in Turkish foreign policy. As a matter of fact, on March 13, 2013, dur- ing his visit of to Türkiye, Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi said: “Benin and Africa want to unite their wealth and power with Türkiye and help Türkiye get stronger. I mean this in terms of oil and mineral wealth. On the road to the partnership of these riches, we must share the same political vision and embrace the same values.” This is quite meaningful in the context of the policies adopted. It would not be wrong to say that with the access to even a relatively small country in the African continent like Benin, Türkiye got rid of the old patterns that had shaped its foreign policy during the Cold 74 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY War period, and it also would not be wrong to say that there has been a shift from national interest-centred policies, which could be envi- sioned by realist theory, in the context of issues related to security, that is, “high politics”, to a value-centred understanding with part- ner countries envisaged by the constructivist theory. Obviously, it would be incorrect to say that the concept of national interest has been abandoned with this new understanding, namely the policies developed in line with the constructivist theory; however, it would not be incorrect to say that the serious steps taken from a regional understanding to a global understanding, thanks to the foreign policy maxim created in accordance with the understanding of the suprem- acy of values, envisaged by the constructivist theory, constitute the core of African and Latin American initiatives. As the implementer of this new understanding, TIKA plays a significant role in the adopted policies. In this context, the ultimate goal of TIKA’s activities is to strengthen cultural communication by reaching the historical and cultural depth of Turkic-speaking nations. In fact, TIKA’s reopening of important works and tombs to visitors thanks to the restorations carried out in the Orkhon Inscriptions in Mongolia, which is one of the most impor- tant works of our common culture, namely Turkic history and Turkic language, Sultan Sancar Tomb in Turkmenistan and Sultan Murat Tomb in Kosovo, can be viewed as one of the significant steps taken to integrate Türkiye, in terms of common values, with the countries in the geographies where these sites are located. Similarly, TIKA’s activities and aid in the countries around Türkiye act as the guaran- tor of the said policy understanding. As an example, TIKA’s signifi- cant contributions to the restructuring of Afghanistan and Iraq can be cited. As a result, TIKA expanded its operations and projects in parallel with the dominant paradigm in Turkish foreign policy and has emerged as an essential actor in strengthening Türkiye’s position both in the geography where Türkiye is located and globally, as an implementer of the new Turkish foreign policy understanding. So much so that Türkiye’s efforts to “create a zone of peace” for Türkiye by extending its “friendly hand” is what lies at the core of the work it has undertaken for friendly, brotherly and related countries via TIKA. In the Article 521 titled “Establishment and Organisation” of Sec- FOREIGN AIDS IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY | 75 tion 37 titled “Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency” in the “Presidential Decree on the Organisation of Affiliated, Related, Associated Institutions and Organisations with Ministries and Oth- er Institutions and Organisations” dated July 15, 2018, numbered 30479, published in the Official Gazette, the Agency is described as a public legal entity with a private budget that carries out its activi- ties under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. TIKA’s mission is to contribute to poverty eradication and sustainable development in development-partner countries. Türkiye shares its own experiences by aligning them with the development-partner countries’ specific requirements and development priorities. Foreign development investments in Türkiye are primarily carried out by TIKA. TIKA conducts its development investments and coor- dination activities abroad as an activity policy related to foreign pol- icy. TIKA has also determined its roadmap in accordance with Tür- kiye’s foreign policy. TIKA annually publishes a report on Türkiye’s development assistance. TIKA has a significant role in Türkiye’s for- eign aid. TIKA’s efforts are not confined to the 60 countries listed but 76 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY extend to over 170 countries worldwide. Since 1992, TIKA has carried out nearly 25,000 projects/activities. Looking back over the last years, it is seen that nearly 2,000 projects/activities have been carried out annually. Increasing compared to previous years, TIKA 2018 expendi- tures amounted to 388,891,059 TL. Since its establishment, TIKA has carried out its activities with a varying momentum in terms of sec- tors in development assistance, providing development assistance in a variety of sectors ranging from school construction to vocational training, health centre construction to court house renovation. B. Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency was estab- lished in 2009 to supersede the General Directorate of Civil Defence and the General Directorate of Disaster Affairs, and it operated as an agency directly affiliated with the Prime Ministry until 2018. With Türkiye’s transition to the Presidential System in 2018, AFAD re-formed as an agency under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The vision of the institution is determined “to be a guiding and coordi- FOREIGN AIDS IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY | 77 nating institution that can be taken as a model at the international level, providing risk-oriented, active, effective and reliable services based on sustainable development in operations related to disasters and emergencies.” Here, it is possible to assert that AFAD has an in- ternational vision. Article 9 of the Law Regarding the duties of the Department of Re- sponse on the Organisation and Duties of the Disaster and Emergen- cy Management Presidency outlines the Presidency’s duties as, “to conduct response operations to eliminate the effects of disaster or emergency by utilising all kinds of resources belonging to the pub- lic, private and non-governmental organisations, foreign persons and organisations during disasters and emergencies, to cooperate with foreign states and international organisations on matters falling within its scope.” We can state that AFAD is authorised in terms of planning, implementation and reporting in an extensive chain of actions that can be considered as post-disaster development and cooperation aid, particularly humanitarian aid that requires an in- ternational emergency response. 78 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY AFAD supports the operations abroad, similar to those it con- ducts at home, in countries in need. The institution also won some awards in terms of its standards and continued to increase its co- operation relations. AFKEN (AFAD - Disaster Temporary City Management System), which sets a new standard in temporary shelter services provided in disasters and emergencies, was awarded the UN Public Services Award granted by the United Nations in the category “Improving the Delivery of Public Services”. in 2015. The “Memorandum of Understanding to Increase Cooperation in the Field of Disaster and Emergency Management”, the preparatory work of which be- gan in October 2018, was signed between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Emergency Management of China. The Ministry of Interior brought the “International Humanitarian Aid Report” regarding the aid that AFAD delivered to more than 50 countries in 5 continents between 2009-2019 to the agenda. The following information was given: According to the report, aid worth 4 billion 502 million 848 thousand 224 TL was sent to 58 countries via AFAD in 10 years. To the mentioned countries, AFAD sent aid totalling   296 million 435 thousand 940 TL in 2010,   656 million 447 thousand TL in 2011,   142 million 730 thousand TL in 2012,   39 million 683 thousand TL in 2013,   97 million 231 thousand 880 TL in 2014,   30 million 646 thousand 455 TL in 2015,   235 million 641 thousand 291 TL in 2016,   56 million 427 thousand 160 TL in 2017, and   2 billion 925 million 664 thousand 877 TL in 2018. In 2019, humanitarian aid totalling 21 million 940 thousand 621 TL was sent through AFAD, including   13 million 823 thousand TL to Bangladesh,   7 million 470 thousand 59 TL to Yemen, FOREIGN AIDS IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY | 79   547 thousand 562 TL to Burkina Faso, and   100 thousand TL to Iraq. The majority of aid was stated to comprise essential supplies such as food, health, and hygiene, in addition to vehicles and equip- ment. Moreover, numerous AFAD teams were reported to be dis- patched to these countries. In summary, AFAD, which conducts national and international actions on disasters and emergencies, emerges as an official and significant entity in Türkiye’s foreign aid. C. Turkish Red Crescent Also represented in non-governmental institutions and organisa- tions is the benevolence of the Turkish people. The Turkish Red Crescent Association is one of the well-established aid organisa- tions in Türkiye. The Turkish Red Crescent arose from the desire to aid soldiers who were injured or ill on the battlefield without any discrimination. The Turkish Red Crescent, which was founded on June 11, 1868, under the name “Society for Aiding the Wounded and Ailing Ottoman Soldiers”, changed its name to “Ottoman Red Crescent Society” in 1877, “Türkiye’s Red Crescent Community” in 1923, “Turkish Red Crescent Community” in 1935 and “Turk- ish Red Crescent Association” in 1947. The Association’s mission is “providing aid for people in need and defenceless individuals in disasters and usual periods as a proactive organisation, promoting cooperation in society, providing safe blood, and reducing vulner- ability.” Its mission is “being an organisation that serves as a model for humanitarian aid in Türkiye and around the world, and to be there for people during their hardest times.” The Turkish Red Crescent is active in numerous domains. These include disaster services, health services, social services, blood services, and youth services. In addition to being a charity serving the public interests, the Turkish Red Crescent has recognised the principle of impartiality. Therefore, the Turkish Red Crescent ad- heres to the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. These are humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universal- ity. 80 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY In the past decade, the Turkish Red Crescent has aided those in need in 138 countries across the globe and has been on active duty to provide basic needs ranging from shelter to food at numerous locations. Not only does the Republic of Türkiye provide foreign aid dur- ing natural disasters, but it also offers foreign aid and engages in humanitarian diplomacy in keeping with its image as the most generous country in the world. By sending emergency aid to Southeast Asia following the tsuna- mi tragedy at the end of 2004, to Pakistan after the earthquake in 2005, and to Lebanon due to the internal conflict in 2006, Türkiye offered the greatest official development assistance ever recorded. The Republic of Türkiye provided humanitarian aid to individu- als in need, especially through TIKA, the Turkish Red Crescent, AFAD, and Türkiye Diyanet Foundation. D. Presidency of Religious Affairs and Türkiye Diyanet Foundation Article 62 of the 1982 Constitution which states, “The State shall take the necessary measures to ensure family unity, the education of the children, the cultural needs, and the social security of Turk- ish citizens working abroad, and to safeguard their ties with the home country and to help them on their return home” provides the legal basis for the Presidency of Religious Affairs (DIB) to function abroad. In this sense, the DIB has been active in Western and Central Europe since the 1980s and in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and notably in the Caucasus and Central Asia following the fall of the Soviet Union. The DIB’s duties include “contributing to our nationals living abroad to retain their own identity without being assimilated and live in harmony with the society in which they reside, promoting Türkiye’s experience and expertise in the sphere of religion abroad, and ensuring that Islam is properly un- derstood.” In addition, the DIB has been responsible for the secretariat of the Eurasian Islamic Council (EIC), which has been in existence since FOREIGN AIDS IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY | 81 1995. Since that time, the EIC has been an initiative aimed at fos- tering cooperation between the religious institutions of Muslim countries and the organisations of Muslim communities in the fields of religious services and education. Besides, the EIC serves as a venue for exchanging information on current religious con- cerns and problems, and its primary objective is to provide regu- lar and coordinated religious services and education that Muslim communities and individuals require. The DIB also offers substantial scholarships to students study- ing Islam in the Balkans, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. In this context, Türkiye’s soft power potential over the stated countries, which is bolstered by scholarships in these countries as part of the global vision, is an indicator of operating in parallel with the proactive diplomacy concept envisioned by the philosophy that drives Turkish foreign policy. Türkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV) was founded on March 13, 1975 by the President of Religious Affairs Lütfi Doğan, Vice Pres- idents Tayyar Altıkulaç and Yakup Üstün and Legal Advisor Ah- met Uzunoğlu of the time, to support the services of the Presiden- cy of Religious Affairs, a state institution with a general budget. The organization’s vision is “to be a foundation in the service of humanity in our country and on seven continents,” and its mis- sion is “to offer moral and material support to individuals and institutions working for goodness to prevail the world.” In accordance with this vision, TDV has evolved into an organ- ization that provides foreign aid in a variety of sectors, ranging from humanitarian aid to development assistance. The number of countries in which the Organization operates increased from 27 in 2010 to 149 in 2019. This initiative can be regarded to have continued along with the foreign initiative of the Presidency of Religious Affairs. As a result, the Presidency has a leading position in its foreign activities, and TDV can easily carry out its opera- tions by benefiting on this advantage. According to the articles of foundation, the current President of Religious Affairs is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the decision-making body of the Foundation. The Presidency of Religious Affairs and the Turk- 82 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY ish Religious Foundation work together to provide foreign aid. The scope of Diyanet aids can be classified into two categories: the recipient group and the content of the aid. The fact that the aids were granted to 149 countries as of 2019 may indicate that it ap- peals to a diverse range of people from various languages, colours, and geographies in terms of the recipient group. Given that there are approximately 200 countries in the world, the fact that a Turk- ish organization can attain such a level is a significant step for Tür- kiye. According to the organization’s objective and vision, friendly and brotherly communities are prioritized among these countries. Furthermore, TDV reached individuals apart from these commu- nities. 600 individuals from a Christian tribe were converted in 2018 in Senegal, an African country, as a result of religious aid. TDV’s aid is broader in scope than those of other organizations in Türkiye. The organization provides assistance in the field of reli- gious services in order to assist the Presidency of Religious Affairs, distributes aid from Türkiye through aid campaigns in response to humanitarian crises, and offers development assistance. Gen- erally, organizations which are active in this field provide certain types of aid. For example, the Turkish Religious Foundation opened a sewing, embroidery, and soap workshop in 2018 for Arakanese people who took shelter in the camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district. After three months of training, the women who attended the sew- ing workshop classes were eligible to acquire certificates, and each was given a sewing machine. The soap workshop aimed to teach camp residents how to make soap in order for them to acquire a profession and increase their use of soap for sanitary purposes. In the same year, the Foundation helped victims of Indonesia’s tsu- nami disaster and performed qurban sacrifices via proxy in 145 countries during the Eid al-Adha. In summary, the Turkish Di- yanet Foundation’s assistance encompasses a broad range of areas and objectives. During the month of Ramadan, TDV delivers food aid to Mus- lim communities in need, organises iftar dinners and offers Eid FOREIGN AIDS IN TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY | 83 packages. While the organization carried out Ramadan programs in 84 countries in 2018, it carried out this program in 327 distinct locations across over 100 nations in 2019, with aid being distrib- uted to 715,857 people. The aid includes food for 509,000 individ- uals, iftar dinners for 195,957 people and Eid packages for 10,900 people. TDV hosted a 500-person iftar dinner in the mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, where 51 people were killed in a ter- rorist attack in 2019. According to the statement, the primary goal of the program was to bring individuals from all backgrounds to- gether at the Al Noor Mosque and the University of Canterbury campus. In addition to providing aid during the month of Ramadan, TDV also constructs water wells in regions where it is difficult to access water, which is essential to human existence. So much so that wa- ter wells are arguably the most significant of TDV’s humanitarian aid initiatives, serving not just humans but also other forms of life. TDV has constructed over 250 water wells to date. Addition- ally, 115 water wells are now in the planning/construction phase. According to the map, the water wells are concentrated in Afri- ca, a region notorious for its water scarcity. It was reported that 3,671,058 individuals made use of water wells. Similar to building water wells, TDV, in collaboration with the Directorate of Religious Affairs, is building mosques to support religious services in regions with Muslim communities around the world where the cost of mosque construction cannot be met, under the slogan “We are building mosques, places of unity and brotherhood.” In fact, TDF built the Namazgah Mosque in Alba- nia, which has a capacity of 10,000 people and is the largest mosque in the Balkans. TDF opened the largest mosque and complex in Central Asia for worship and use in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, in 2018. The Presidency of Religious Affairs and the Türkiye Diya- net Foundation both contributed to the construction of the Cam- bridge Central Mosque in Cambridge, England, which opened in recent years as the first environmentally friendly mosque in Eu- rope. TDV continues to build mosques all over the world, as ev- idenced by the examples provided. The foundation has built 103 mosques abroad so far. 84 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 85 T ü r k i y e ’ s H u m a n i t a r i a n D i p l o m a c y i n T h e C O V I D - 1 9 P a n d e m i c 0 6 “After hopelessness, there is so much hope After darkness, there is a brighter sun” Hz. Mevlana T he COVID-19 (corona) virus, which was identified on Jan- uary 13, 2020, as a result of research conducted in a group of patients who developed respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, rapidly spread around the world and became a pandemic after this date. During the pandemic, the whole world has faced a serious challenge. The Republic of Türkiye not only fights the coronavirus within its borders but also provides financial and medical aid to nu- merous states in order to slow the spread of the pandemic, which has become a global problem, and to prevent the loss of life. Examples of the support provided by Türkiye in this process are presented be- low. After assisting numerous countries impacted by the pandemic, Türkiye also extended its helping hand to the United States, where the number of COVID-19 cases exceeded 1 million, and the death toll exceeded 57 thousand. On President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s instruc- tions, an A400M military cargo plane of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) carrying medical supplies to the USA landed at Andrews Air Base near the capital Washington at approximately 17:30 EST (TRT 00.30). Serdar Kılıç, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Washington, and Philip Thomas Reeker, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Europe- an and Eurasian Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, welcomed the plane. 500 thousand masks, 400 thousand aprons, 2 thousand litres of disinfectant, 500 face shields and 400 N95 type masks and 1500 protective goggles were sent to the USA. 86 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY TRNC | 20,000 medical masks, 100 pieces of personal protective cloth- ing, 3,000 N95 masks, 100 protective goggles were sent to the TRNC. While a financial resource of 72 million liras was initially provided to the TRNC to meet its immediate needs, a grant agreement was signed on March 11 to provide vaccines, drugs, medical supplies, anti-coro- navirus equipment, and diagnostic kits to the Ministry of Health of the TRNC. The first part of the equipment was delivered on March 13. The Turkish Red Crescent committed to sending 30,000 three-layer surgical masks, 30,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 3,000 N149 masks, 300 protective coveralls, and 300 protective glasses to the TRNC. IRAN | In line with the agreement on grants in the field of health be- tween the Government of the Republic of Türkiye and the Govern- ment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a thousand diagnostic kits, 4 thousand 715 coveralls, 20 thousand aprons, 2,004 glasses, 4 thou- sand N95 masks and 78 thousand three-layer masks were donated. BULGARIA | Bulgaria received 50 thousand masks, 100 thousand protective coveralls, and 100 thousand protective glasses as part of the agreement reached between Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Bo- risov and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Bulgarian Defence Minis- ter Krasimir Karakachanov stated that Türkiye provided his country with equipment to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and that not a single mask came from European countries so far. 50 thousand medical masks, 100 thousand pieces of protective clothing and 100 thousand protective glasses were delivered to Bulgaria. CHINA | Since the early days of the pandemic, Türkiye provided med- ical equipment support to China through TIKA and delivered 1,000 pieces of biohazard clothing, 93,500 protective filter masks and 1,000 pieces of disposable protective clothing to China in the first stage, with the Koca Yusuf cargo plane belonging to the Turkish Air Force. Since the early days of the pandemic, Türkiye provided medical equip- ment support to China through TIKA and delivered 1,000 pieces of biohazard clothing, 93,500 protective filter masks and 1,000 pieces of disposable protective clothing to China in the first stage, with the Koca Yusuf cargo plane belonging to the Turkish Air Force. The Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) delivered approximately 200 TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 87 thousand protective masks and a large number of medical supplies to China, including protective glasses, disinfectants, and gloves. • 200 thousand protective masks • Protective glasses • Disinfectant • Gloves IRAQ | Türkiye sent medical equipment to Kirkuk. 18 thousand masks were delivered to the region. Turkish Red Crescent provided 30 thou- sand masks and 475 food parcels to Erbil as part of the fight against coronavirus. COLOMBIA | 26 thousand coronavirus diagnostic tests were sent to Colombia. BALKANS | Türkiye provided medical assistance to Balkan countries, including Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Mac- edonia and Kosovo to support their fight against the COVID-19 pan- demic. GEORGIA | Türkiye is actively cooperating with all institutions and organisations of Georgia in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. AZERBAIJAN| 250 diagnostic kits were sent to Azerbaijan. KYRGYZSTAN | 20,000 medical masks, 200 diagnostic kits, 100 pro- tective coveralls, 100 glasses, 100 N95 masks were delivered to the Kyrgyz Republic to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA | Turkish Red Crescent committed to pro- viding Bosnia and Herzegovina with 50,000 three-layer surgical masks, 50,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 10,000 N149 masks, 500 pro- tective coveralls, 500 protective glasses and 5,000 powder-free nitrile gloves. ITALY | Turkish Red Crescent committed to providing Italy with 100,000 three-layer surgical masks, 100,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 20.000 N149 masks, 1.500 protective coveralls and 1.500 protective goggles. SPAIN | Türkiye supplied thousands of pieces of protective medi- cal equipment such as masks, clothing and antibacterial solutions through a military cargo plane that took off from the Etimesgut Mili- tary Airport to deliver the equipment first to Italy and then to Spain. That equipment was manufactured in Türkiye with domestic and na- 88 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY tional resources in military factories, sewing houses and Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation under the Ministry of National Defence (MoD). Thousands of medical supplies, including masks, clothes, and antibacterial solution, were sent to Spain. LIBYA | Medical equipment that Türkiye sent to Libya to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was delivered by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Tripoli Serhat Aksen to the Deputy Minister of Health of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), Mu- hammed Heysem İsa. UK | Medical masks, N95 masks, and coveralls were loaded aboard an A400M cargo plane going from Etimesgut Military Airport to Eng- land. IRELAND | Türkiye sent aid materials to Ireland as part of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The foreign aid provided as part of the fight against the pandemic was a reflection of Türkiye’s humanitarian and enterprising foreign poli- cy. In this framework, efforts are underway to meet the aid requests received from all over the world as much as possible. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working in full cooperation with the Ministry of Health and other institutions in the procurement process by receiv- ing, evaluating and directing requests from foreign countries. To date, aid requests of different nature (equipment grant, cash aid, sales/ex- port permit) have been received from 159 countries. Assistance has been provided to 157 countries so far. 129 of the 157 countries received grant aid, 75 of them received sales and export permits, and 50 coun- tries received cash aid (It is possible that the same country received aid in different categories -equipment grant/cash aid/export permit/ sales permit- from Türkiye.). Among the regions where Türkiye re- ceived aid requests, the African continent is the first with 49 coun- tries. This is followed by Europe (41 countries), Asia (33 countries), America (21 countries) and Oceania (15 countries). These are the 157 countries to which Türkiye has sent aid: The USA, Afghanistan, Germany, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Albania, Aus- tria, Australia, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 89 Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Djibouti, Cook Islands, Chad, Czech Republic, People’s Republic of China, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Indonesia, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Fiji, Ivory Coast, Philippines, Palestine, Finland, France, Gabon, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Repub- lic of South Africa, South Sudan, Guatemala, Georgia, Haiti, Croatia, the Netherlands, Honduras, Iraq, the UK, Iran, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Italy, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Montenegro, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, TRNC, Colombia, Congo, Kosovo, Costa Rica, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Cuba, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Lebanon, Hungary, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, Mol- dova, Principality of Monaco, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Russia, Samoa, San Mari- no, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syr- ia, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Oman, Jordan, Va- nuatu, Vatican, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Fifty countries were provided with financial aid. The following are the specifics of some of the aid supplied by Türkiye. THE USA | Under the instructions of our President Recep Tayyip Er- doğan, Türkiye donated 1,502,500 masks, 500 face shields, 1,000 gog- gles, 1,500 N95 masks, 125,050 protective coveralls, 4 tonnes of hand sanitiser, 2,000 litres of disinfectant, 4,200 protective safety goggles to the USA in two batches on April 22, 2020, and May 1, 2020. Further- more, 15,000 surgical masks were sent to the Turkish Consulate Gen- eral in New York for the use of the Turkish citizens on May 8, 2020, and in response to a request from the citizens in Maryland, 30,000 surgical masks were delivered to the Turkish Embassy in Washington on May 11, 2020. GERMANY | In accordance with the Grant Agreement between Türki- ye and Germany, 5 million masks were supplied. In addition, the Han- nover Municipality was granted 40 thousand masks on May 2, 2020. 90 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY AZERBAIJAN | Following the Grant Agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, 30 ventilators, 35,000 protective coveralls, 50,000 N95 masks, 100,000 surgical masks, 5000 protective safety goggles, 200,000 gloves, two PCR machines, 20,000 Hydroxychloro- quine and 20,000 Tamiflu were granted on July 5, 2020. During the month of Ramadan in 2020, 44 tonnes of food aid were distributed to approximately 2,500 families in over 30 settlements. On December 17, 2020, seven trucks carrying food, household items, sheltering mate- rials, personal protective equipment, winter clothing, hygiene mate- rials, medicine, wheelchairs, toys, and various medical consumables granted by the Turkish Red Crescent left for Azerbaijan. In addition, private sector organisations in Türkiye donated 10 tonnes of concen- trated disinfectant to the country. Türkiye supported the “REACT-C19 Project” (Rapid Scale-up of Essential Capacities in Hospitals for COV- ID-19) initiated by WHO in cooperation with Azerbaijani authorities to improve healthcare professionals’ capacity in pilot hospitals de- termined in Azerbaijan to fight against COVID-19 by providing Azer- baijani medical personnel with training. With the announcement of the Azerbaijani Physicians Association, 19 doctors were chosen and trained at Ege University; they completed their training on April 14 and began service in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan welcomed Turkish ex- perts in the field of COVID-19 infection. In this context, on July 8, 2020, four members of our Scientific Board conducted meetings and investigations in the country with the Azerbaijan Crisis Desk’s health committee. BANGLADESH | Türkiye donated 3,000 food parcels to Bangladesh on April 24, 2020, for distribution to those in need. In May 2020, 70 tonnes of food aid and 5,000 hygiene packages were provided to Ro- hingya Muslims. In addition, Ramadan packages were sent to 1,000 families in need in the rural area of Chakaria in 2020. On June 7, 2020, the support package consisting of 5,000 surgical masks, 1,000 N95 masks, 1,000 medical coveralls and two ventilators was delivered at the Bangladesh State Guest House with a ceremony attended by Dep- uty Secretary-General of the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs Khalilur Rahman. With a ceremony held on July 6, 2020, local offi- cials were handed donated medical supplies for the hospitals “Chit- tagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH)” and “Chittagong General Hospital (CGH),” and on August 6, 2020, 200 homeless children were TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 91 given Eid clothing, school bags, and medical masks. On September 11, 2020, 8,000 hygiene kits and cleaning materials and 4,000 masks were provided. Under the Grant Agreement signed on October 12, 2020, 20 ventilators (with trolleys and accessory sets), 10,000 N95 masks, 10,000 gowns, 10,000 protective coveralls, 2,000 face shields and 5,000 protective safety goggles were delivered to Bangladesh on October 16, 2020. The official delivery ceremony of the said materials was held at Padma State Guest House on October 28, 2020, with the participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs AK Abdul Momen (PhD) of Bangladesh. In response to a request from the Dhaka Police De- partment, 25,000 surgical masks were delivered to the Dhaka Police Chief on October 28, 2020, as part of the fight against the pandemic. THE UNITED KINGDOM | Under the Grant Agreement with the Unit- ed Kingdom, 50,000 N95 masks, 100,000 surgical masks and 100,000 protective coveralls were provided. As part of the grants, 58,000 masks, 28,000 face shields, 85,270 coveralls, 48,000 3-ply surgical masks, 30,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 4,400 EN149 masks, 400 protective coveralls, and 500 protective safety goggles were also de- livered. The first batch of the aforementioned medical equipment aid was transported to RAF Brize Norton airbase on April 10, 2020, by air- craft from our Air Force and handed over to the British authorities. On April 12, 2020, the second batch was delivered by a Turkish Airlines plane. In addition, on May 5, 2020, 20,000 surgical masks and 1,000 coveralls were supplied to the Turkish Embassy in London for use by our residents in the country. ALGERIA | Within the framework of the Grant Agreement, approx- imately five tonnes of cleaning and hygiene materials, 12 tonnes of food, and 30,000 surgical masks were provided to Algeria on separate dates to support 1,000 families. In order to coordinate with 48 prov- inces in the fight against COVID-19, a teleconference and interactive education unit was established. On July 22, 2020, within the scope of the grants, 25 ventilators (with trolleys and accessory sets), two PCR devices, 30,000 PCR test kits, 50,000 surgical masks, 50,000 N95 masks, 25,000 coveralls and 30,000 viral nucleic acid isolation kits were sent to Algeria by an evacuation aircraft. CHAD | In accordance with the Grant Agreement signed between Türkiye and Chad, 25 ventilators, PCR test kits, 86,350 coveralls, 92 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 100,000 surgical masks, 30,000 N95 masks, 5,000 goggles, 87,600 gloves, 50,000 shoe covers, three ambulances and ten inflatable field emergency units were dispatched by military cargo planes on May 26 and June 18, 2020. On June 25, 2020, in order to support Chad’s fight against the pandemic, 40 pedal-operated handwashing systems and 2,000 hand soaps were delivered to 15 schools in the capital. In addition, 100 mechanical pedal-operated handwashing systems and liquid soap support were provided to health centres in N’Djamina’s ten districts. CHINA | On February 1 and February 13, 2020, two aid cargoes con- taining 2,000 N95 masks, 2,000 protective clothing, 2,000 goggles, disinfectants, gloves, and shoe covers were delivered to China. PALESTINE | Under the Grant Agreement between Türkiye and Pal- estine, 15 tonnes of material consisting of 40,000 PCR test kits, 4 PCR devices, 100,000 N95 masks, 40,000 coveralls, 100,000 gloves, 2,000 oxygen masks, 20,000 nasal cannulas, two tonnes of hand sanitiser and 20,000 face shields were airlifted to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport to be delivered to Ramallah and Gaza on April 30, 2020. The grant in question was cleared from customs by the Palestinian Ministry of Health on May 5, 2020, and transported to Ramallah. The Palestin- ian Ministry of Health received six tonnes of hygiene materials and personal protective equipment, and food aid was distributed to 5,060 families in Gaza and 7,500 families in the West Bank and East Jerusa- lem. Furthermore, on July 14, 2020, aid materials consisting of 50,000 medical masks, 2,500 N95 surgical masks, and 2,500 disinfectants were delivered to Augusta Victoria (Al-Muttali) Hospital in East Jeru- salem. On August 19, 2020, the Ramallah part of the distribution of 50 battery-powered wheelchairs to Palestinians with special needs, with five in each West Bank province, was finalised. In accordance with the Grant Agreement signed on September 14, 2020, 20 intensive care ventilators, 20 bedside monitors, 40 syringe pumps, 20 infusion pumps, 20 defibrillator monitors, 20 electrocardiographs, 20 laryn- goscope sets, 20 diagnostic sets (Oph + o-to), 20 Ambo bag sets, 20 temperature monitors, 20 heating-cooling beds, 20 flowmeter oxygen connectors (DIN), 20 stethoscopes, 20 ultrasonic nebulisers and two laundry carts were delivered at a ceremony held on December 1, 2020. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 93 SPAIN | On April 1, 2020, Türkiye delivered 250,000 masks, 250 N95 masks, 750 eye protection masks, 2,000 coveralls, and 1000 litres of disinfectant to Spain. ITALY | On April 1, 2020, Türkiye responded to Italy’s call for assis- tance through the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordina- tion Centre (EADRCC) by delivering 200,000 masks, 250 N95 masks, 750 eye protection masks, 2,000 coveralls, and 1000 litres of an- ti-bacterial disinfectant. The Turkish Red Crescent delivered 100,000 3-ply surgical masks, 100,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 20,000 N149 masks, 1,500 protective coveralls, and 1,500 protective goggles to Ita- ly at the request of the Italian Red Cross. MONTENEGRO | On April 8, 2020, 50,000 masks, 1,000 coveralls, and 1,000 diagnostic kits were delivered to Montenegro at the request of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Türkiye delivered 35 tonnes of food and hygiene material support to the most economically vul- nerable 5,000 people as part of the Food and Hygiene Support Pro- gramme. TRNC | In September 2020, The Turkish Red Crescent dispatched 30,000 3-ply surgical masks, 30,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 3,000 N149 masks, 300 protective coveralls, 300 protective goggles, 500 food parcels, five tents, 30,740 hygiene kits and cleaning supplies to the TRNC. Moreover, under the Grant Agreement signed on March 11, 2020, 20,000 medical masks, 100 personal protective gears, 3,000 N95 or similar masks, 100 protective goggles and various vac- cines and medications were granted. Under the Grant Agreement of March 13, 2020, five ambulances, 10 ventilators, 20,000 SARS-CoV 2 (2019-nCov) RT-qPCR detection kits, 20,000 viral nucleic acid isola- tion kits, 100,000 surgical masks, 50,000 N95 masks, 20,000 cover- alls, two PCR machines (with cabinet), 2,000 glass bottles (1000 ml) of sterile distilled water, 6,500 Metronidazole 5 mg/ml 100 ml solu- tion for infusion (with sets), 2,000 Dextrose 3.33% + Sodium Chloride 0.3% 500 ml solution in PE/PP/PVC infusion bottles/infusion bags (with sets), 6,000 Sodium Chloride 0.9% 1000 ml solution in PE/PP/ PVC infusion bottles/infusion bags (with sets), 4,500 Sodium Chlo- ride 0.9% 100 ml solution in PE/PP/ PVC infusion bottles/infusion bags (with sets), 400 Sodium Chloride 0.9% 150 ml solution in PE/PP/ PVC infusion bottles /nfusion bags (with sets), 400 Sodium Chloride 94 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 0.9% 250 ml solution in PE/PP/PVC infusion bottles/infusion bags (with sets), 600 lactated Ringer’s solution 1000 ml in PE/PP/PVC in- fusion bottles/infusion bags (with sets), 600 lactated Ringer’s solu- tion 500 ml in PE/PP/PVC infusion bottles/infusion bags (with sets) were delivered on July 20, 2020. Türkiye provided food aid to families in need in the TRNC as part of the fight against the novel coronavirus and the month of Ramadan activities. On May 20, 2020, 25 tonnes of foodstuff, including essential foodstuffs and items such as milk, dates, tea, coffee, and domestic products of Cyprus, were delivered to 1,000 families in need in Nicosia, Kyrenia, Famagusta, Morphou and Lefke. Furthermore, Türkiye sent hygiene equipment to the TRNC Disabled Solidarity Association in May 2020. The interior equipment of the Emergency Hospital, built-in Nicosia by Türkiye, was delivered to the TRNC on October 7, 2020. The hospital in question was inau- gurated by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, paying a visit to the TRNC on the occasion of the 37th foundation anniversary of the TRNC on November 15, 2020, and the President Ersin Tatar of the TRNC. LIBYA | Within the scope of the fight against COVID-19, medical equipment consisting of 150,000 masks, 60 protective facemasks (panoramic), 300 protective eye masks, 600 coveralls and 400 litres of disinfectant were dispatched to Libya. On May 14, 2020, the second batch of aid, containing 200,000 masks, 70 face shields, 300 pieces of eye protector, 120 N95 masks, 600 coveralls, and 400 litres of dis- infectant, was delivered to the officials of the Ministry of Health of Libya’s Government of National Accord. On August 6, 2020, three ven- tilators were granted. NAMIBIA | Under the Grant Agreement, 10 ventilators, 30,000 N95 masks, 60,000 3-ply masks and 20,000 protective coveralls were de- livered to Namibia with a ceremony on June 25, 2020. Türkiye provid- ed food aid to families of 33 people with a disability trying to survive in a difficult situation and distributed 500 food parcels consisting of rice, oil, tea, sugar, salt, flour, soup etc. to approximately 3,000 people living in four regions, namely, the capital Windhoek, Oshakati, Keet- manshoop and Osire Refugee Camp. On May 29, 2020, 200 disinfect- ant pumps and 40 infrared thermometers were donated to the Minis- try of Health and Social Services of Namibia. Moreover, on December 21, 2020, an equipment aid containing digital electrocardiography TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 95 (ECG) machines, defibrillator monitors, portable ultrasound devices, infusion pumps, multi-monitors, portable ventilators, video laryngo- scopes, aspirators, emergency trolleys, examination tables, was pro- vided to the “Clinical Emergency Medical Care Training Laboratory” of Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). PAKISTAN | The aircraft carrying 20,000 N95 masks, 50,000 coveralls and 100,000 medical masks provided by Türkiye arrived in Islama- bad on April 22, 2020. The second batch of aid to Pakistan, consisting of 108,000 surgical masks and 31,500 pieces of protective equipment, was delivered to Karachi by a Turkish Airlines cargo aircraft on April 28, 2020. Throughout the month of Ramadan in 2020, 4,000 parcels and 70 tonnes of food aid were delivered to 22,500 people. On Sep- tember 11, 2020, 10 oxygen pressure regulators, 100 oxygen masks, 50 oxygen cylinders and 50 medical oxygen flowmeters were granted. 300,000 N95 masks were delivered to Islamabad on September 30, 2020, by a Turkish Airlines cargo aircraft and handed over to the au- thorities on the same day. SERBIA | 500 test kits, 100,000 masks, 2,000 coveralls and 1,500 di- agnostic kits provided by Türkiye were dispatched to Serbia on April 8, 2020. In April 2020, domestically manufactured soap and disin- fectant products were distributed in Sandzak, and aid parcels con- taining a total of 15 tonnes of essential foodstuffs were distributed to 1,000 families formed of people in need and disadvantaged groups such as Romans and refugees in Serbia on the occasion of the month of Ramadan. In the meantime, 3 tonnes of foodstuffs were delivered to Karnyacha Refugee Camp near Belgrade. Upon the instructions of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 10 bedside monitors, 20 pulse oximeters (finger), 10 UV sterilisation lamps, 50 oxygen regulators, 10 perfusion pumps, 1 video laryngoscope, 3 laryngoscopes, 10 silicone AMBUs, 3 surgical aspirators, 400 hospital bedding sheets, 30 hos- pital beds, 20,000 FFP2 protective masks, 2,000 protective coveralls, 1,500 face shields, 30,000 masks, 100 parcels of 12-piece 350 ml hand soap, 110 parcels of 60-piece 150 ml hand sanitiser and 120 parcels of 12 piece wet wipes were dispatched to Sandzak region on June 12, 2020. Under the Grant Agreement, 3 high-flow oxygen machines, 5 bedside monitors, 30 central oxygen flowmeters, five pieces of 12 channel ECG machine, 20 infusion pumps, 2 defibrillators, 10,000 di- 96 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY agnostic kits, 2 PCR machines, 5 ventilators, 1 surgical intervention kit, 1 mobile X-ray machine, 30,000 N95 masks, 2,675 N149 masks, 5,000 protective coveralls, 230,000 surgical masks, 10,000 packets of Hydroxychloroquine, 10,000 packets of Tamiflu, 10,000 litres of dis- infectant, 10 UV devices, 2,000 face shields and 40,000 powder-free vinyl gloves were sent to Sandzak region on July 4, 2020, to be used in the Novi Pazar General Hospital. Türkiye granted a total of 200,000 masks in two batches sent on August 9 and 13, 2020, to the Ministry of Interior of Serbia. Furthermore, 130,000 3-ply surgical masks, 469 pieces of disinfectant (1 lt), 2,675 EN149 masks, 1,000 protective gog- gles, 420 protective coveralls, 40,000 powder-free vinyl gloves and 5 ventilators were granted to Serbia on September 11, 2020. SOMALIA | On April 17, 2020, medical equipment consisting of 50,000 3-ply surgical masks, 50,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 1,000 N149 masks, 1,000 protective coveralls, 576 protective safety goggles, 60 Hepatitis-B vaccines, 800 Muscobloc vials, 100 Benzoxin vials, 500 Hamazine pomades, 20 Survanta vials, 4,000 Glargine injections, 15 Rhopylac vials, 2,100 Droptein injections, 6,000 Synpitan ampules, 18,000 FFP2 masks, 250 protective coveralls, 500 protective safety goggles, 100,000 surgical masks, 400 boxes of COVID-19 rapid test kit, 50 packets of Favipiravir tablet, 250 packets of Plaquenil tablet and 1,000 packets of Tamiflu capsule was dispatched to Somalia. Under our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s instructions, 20,000 diagnostic kits, 40,000 surgical masks, 10,000 N95 masks, 20,000 protective coveralls, 10 ventilators, and their accessories arrived in Mogadishu by military cargo aircraft on May 2, 2020. One hundred intensive care beds were also delivered to the Ministry of Health of Somalia on May 4, 2020. On the same dates, 340,000 masks, 500 face shields, 500 eye protectors, 10,050 coveralls, 32,500 litres of disinfect- ant and 500 diagnostic kits were granted to Somalia. Food aid was granted to 500 families who left their houses in Mogadishu and had to live in the camps of the Garas Balley region; within this framework, food packages consisting of rice, flour, pasta, sugar and oil were hand- ed out to the families in the camp during the month of Ramadan. As part of the aid granted to 8 IGAD member countries, Türkiye donated 10,000 surgical masks, 2,000 gowns, and 1,020 overalls to Somalia. An X-ray machine was donated to Galgaduud State Hospital, the big- gest state hospital in Dusamareb, on September 30, 2020. In addition, TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 97 on December 23, 2020, equipment support consisting of a BS-model biochemistry analyser, Elisa device, mixer, microscope, ball bearings and centrifuge devices was granted to Wajid Hospital, located in the South-West State of Somali. 1,014 infrared thermometers were deliv- ered to Somalia on October 25, 2020. SUDAN | In accordance with the Grant Agreement, 50 ventilators, 100,000 surgical masks, 50,000 N95 masks, and 50,000 coveralls were sent to Sudan on August 22, 2020. Protective face shields and masks are produced in a facility established by Türkiye. During the month of Ramadan in 2020, 34 tonnes of food aid were distributed to 2,000 families in the Shagarab camp, which is located in Kassala State and is home to Eritrean refugees. In July 2020, medical equipment aid, including protective and surgical masks, thermometers, gloves, dis- infectants, and oxygen tanks, was granted for the healthcare person- nel in the East Darfur region. In August 2020, 50 low-income women in the Mandela region were provided with 50 needlecraft machines, spice mills, ovens, and leatherwork machines in August 2020 so that they could sustain themselves. Materials such as oximeters, ther- mometers, protective face masks with shields, face masks, gloves, dis- infectants, surgical gowns, and disinfection pumps were delivered to the Khartoum office of Nyala Sudan-Türkiye Training and Research Hospital. Medical devices, medications, and consumables listed be- low and provided by the Turkish Red Crescent in coordination with Qatar Red Crescent to establish a pandemic centre were dispatched to Sudan by cargo planes on September 5-7, 2020 10,000 gloves, 2,500 goggles, 52,500 masks and 2,500 coveralls were donated on September 11, 2020. As part of the aid granted to 8 IG- AD member countries, Türkiye donated 10,000 surgical masks, 2,000 gowns and 1,020 coveralls to Sudan. TURKMENISTAN | On July 30, 2020, 20 ventilator screens and units, 20 ventilator foot sets, 20 ventilator accessory sets, 50,000 N95 masks, 100,000 surgical masks, 10,000 overalls, and 10,000 hydrox- ychloroquine tablets were sent under the terms of the Grant Agree- ment with Turkmenistan. UKRAINE | In April 2020, 3,500 surgical masks and 100 surgical gowns were dispatched to Odessa Maternity Hospital. On May 8, 98 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020, 150,000 masks, 100 face shields, 200 eye shields, 50 N95 masks, 500 overalls, and 300 litres of disinfectant were delivered to Kiev. In June 2020, 600 families in the Kyiv, Kherson, and Odessa regions re- ceived assistance from the Ukraine Food and Hygiene Support Pro- gram, which included food products and personal protection materi- als used in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. VENEZUELA | In May 2020, Türkiye sent 400 parcels of food to Ven- ezuela. According to the Grant Agreement, on July 17, 25 ventilators, 100,000 surgical masks, 50,000 N95 masks, 35,000 overalls, 200,000 gloves, 40,000 PCR test kits, 3 incubators, 3 phototherapy devices, 1 Bilirubin measuring device, 3 blood pressure monitors, 3 stetho- scopes, 3 ear thermometers, 1 Laryngoscope (child), 1 Laryngoscope (adult), 3 monitors, 2 ECG devices, 9 infusion pumps, 2 meshers, 2 skin dermatomes, 1 defibrillator, 6 patient beds and 1 baby scale were delivered to Venezuela by military aircraft and handed over to the authorities in a ceremony broadcast live on television channels and attended by Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Arreaza, Minister of Health Carlos Alvarado, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yvan Gil. At a ceremony on August 20, 2020, health materi- als consisting of approximately 5,000 viral transport medium sets, 10,000 rapid diagnostic tests, and 3,000 PCR tests were presented to Venezuelan Deputy Minister of Health Gerardo Briceno. Türkiye renovated the neonatal intensive care unit of the Ana Terasa de Je- sus Ponce Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Venezuela’s La Guaria state, and the medical equipment and devices supplied by Türkiye were made ready for use. Türkiye renovated the Burn Unit of the Dr. Jesus Yerena Hospital and provided grant support with various ma- terials including plastic surgery and surgical equipment on December 11, 2020 in the Venezuelan state of La Pastora. Aside from countries, international organisations (20 international organisations/affiliat- ed bodies) ask Türkiye for medical assistance. Türkiye partially or completely met the demands of 12 of them (OCHA, UNICEF, PAF, SICA, CARICOM, NATO, IGAD, WHO, OSCE, IFRC, UNWRA, African Union-Africa CDC). The majority of aids are medical supplies, espe- cially personal protective equipment. Additionally, ventilators pro- duced by Türkiye are donated to countries in need. Food aid is also provided to countries and regions with food safety issues created by the pandemic. In the fight against COVID-19, Türkiye offers specific TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 99 aid programmes for disadvantaged populations such as the old, the disabled, and the orphans. It provided various kinds of aid to the dis- placed people, refugees and migrants in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen; to the street children in Bangladesh; to the disabled and orphans in Guinea; to the children in the orphanages in South Sudan; to the visually impaired in Kazakh- stan; to the orphans in Kenya; to the disabled in the TRNC; to the dis- abled and orphaned children in Romania; to the orphanages, nursing homes for the elderly and the disabled in Mongolia; to 15 social wel- fare centres in Moldova, including nursing homes, orphanages, and shelters for the homeless; to the orphanages and nursing homes in Mozambique; to the disabled children and their families in Namib- ia; to women’s shelters and other disadvantaged groups in Yemen. In some developing countries, training programmes are organised for manufacturing personal protective equipment using local resources. In addition, raw materials are supplied to support the production of personal protective equipment through local facilities. TIKA organ- ised training programs for manufacturing personal protective equip- ment/hygiene materials with local facilities in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kingdom of Eswatini, Gambia, Georgia, South Su- dan, Cameroon, Colombia, Moldova, Mozambique, Serbia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, or provided material for local production. Türkiye is trying to provide budgetary aid to some friendly countries experienc- ing economic difficulties due to the pandemic. Additionally, the busi- ness world supports Türkiye’s allies in their fight against COVID-19. To date, more than 50 Turkish enterprises have supported more than 30 friendly countries in their fight against the pandemic. With its con- tributions to international solidarity during the pandemic, Türkiye has once again proven its reliability as a global partner. A. Support Activities Conducted During the Pandemic Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, TIKA has carried out approximately 200 projects and initiatives in more than 70 coun- tries across the Balkans, Central Asia, Latin America, and Africa. In this context, to address supply issues in the first half of 2020, on-site manufacturing of surgical masks, face shields, and disinfectants was supported. In the following period, capacity building was aimed at without being hampered by travel limitations through online training 100 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY in order to close the human resource gap. Medical tools and equip- ment such as ventilators, defibrillators, thermal cameras, and ambu- lances were provided and delivered to countries requesting coopera- tion as part of the activities to increase equipment capacity, and face shield production was supported through 3D modelling training and 3D printer donations. Furthermore, those adversely affected by limi- tations and unemployment continue to be delivered food and hygiene supplies. TIKA’s initiatives within the scope of COVID-19 directly benefited 2,200,000 persons. Health institutions built previously by TIKA, such as Palestine-Türkiye Friendship Hospital, the Polyclinic Department of Mecidiye Hospital in Romania, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital in Somalia, and Nyala Sudan-Turk- ish Training and Research Hospital, all have become key centres in the fight against the pandemic in the countries where they were lo- cated. Awareness campaigns against the COVID-19 pandemic and aid efforts for individuals in need struck by the pandemic have been realised by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communi- ties (YTB), as have the non-profit manufacturing of health and hy- giene products that are difficult to obtain such as surgical masks, liq- uid-proof protective coveralls, protective face shields, disinfectants, etc., as well as the facilitation of volunteer work to manufacture these products. YTB has also been providing educational, entertaining, and morale-boosting media content to make the most of the downtime at home; food and shelter assistance to students, tourists, truck drivers, and others who have a residence in Türkiye but are unable to return home due to the pandemic; supportive activities for healthcare work- ers in the country, activities to boost public morale in the country, and assistance for graphics, design, vocalisation, and montage in the production of the campaigns for the fight against the pandemic, as well as new ideas and projects in the same regard. YTB designed and announced a financial assistance programme called “Diaspo- ra COVID-19 Programme for Support and Cooperation” to Turkish NGOs abroad. As part of the programme, 74 initiatives were carried out in 14 countries (Germany, the US, France, the UK, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Australia, Fin- land, TRNC, Sweden) and reached over 200 thousand people. During this process, food and hygiene supply boxes were delivered to 10,823 people, masks to 109,350 people, gowns and gloves to 21,300 people, TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 101 gift items to 9,107 people, and iftar dinners to 32,150 people. Further- more, the “Solidarity with International Students Within the Scope of Combating COVID-19” programme was initiated to provide cash, food, and cleaning materials to international students who could not return to their countries due to the pandemic, who were quarantined, and who received education in Türkiye through their own means during this difficult period. More than 1,200 international students in need who came to Türkiye from 70 different countries to get higher education and study in 59 different cities were assisted thanks to this programme. B. International Cooperation Efforts Since the beginning of the pandemic, which is a global challenge af- fecting all of humanity, Türkiye has emphasised the significance of international cooperation and solidarity and focused its efforts and initiatives in this area. Our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been a leader whom the heads of state and governments of other countries have consulted in multilateral forums and at the bilateral level. In the context of multilateral and bilateral cooperation and consultation in the fight against the pandemic, the President has placed a high value on leader-to-leader contacts and discussions. Türkiye has been a leader in, a staunch supporter of, and an active contributor to the cooperation initiatives launched to combat COV- ID-19. In this context, numerous contributions have been made to the efforts of the UN, the G20, the Turkic Council (now known as the Organisation of Turkic States), MIKTA, and the Organisation for Is- lamic Cooperation, and the importance of multilateralism in the fight against the pandemic has been underlined. Türkiye co-endorsed the draft resolution on “International cooperation to ensure global access to medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to face COVID-19” at the United Nations General Assembly. On March 26, 2020, the ex- traordinary G20 Leaders’ Summit on COVID-19 was held via video conference. G20 leaders focused on health, economy, international trade and cooperation and discussed the steps that can be taken un- der the leadership of the G20 in order to combat the global social and economic effects of the virus. They adopted a statement focusing on financial measures that can be taken in collaboration with the IMF, 102 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY the World Bank, and multilateral development banks, as well as steps that can be taken in cooperation with international organisations such as the UN, OECD, ILO, and WHO. Some G20 leaders, especially our President, drew attention to the situation in countries in distress due to conflicts and the risks faced by refugees and forcibly displaced persons in unfavourable conditions and called for the removal of barriers to free trade and the functioning of international trade com- pliant with WTO rules. At the Extraordinary Leaders’ Summit of the Turkic Council, organised via video conference with our President’s participation on April 10, 2020, the development of a joint action plan in the context of the shared fight against COVID-19 was discussed, and ideas were exchanged regarding the removal of existing barri- ers so that essential materials, food, and medicine can pass through the borders of Turkic Council member states in a timely manner, the compilation of a list of goods that can pass through the borders of the aforementioned countries unimpeded, and the establishment of a mechanism that will facilitate the rapid exchange of information on freight transportation between the members at the borders and an online platform where information about infected people can be shared. The Executive Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation convened via video conference on April 22, 2020, at the level of for- eign ministers to address the pandemic at our country’s request. With the proposal of our nation, the Final Declaration included the deci- sion of the Permanent Representatives Committee to meet regularly for coordination and consultation at the intergovernmental level, as the scope and severity of the pandemic demanded frequent, system- atic, and regular contacts and consultations. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 103 1. Activities of TIKA During the Pandemic Period (2020-2021) The year, country, project and activity information is as follows: Year Country Project Name Completed Activity 2020 Albania Food Aid to Orphan Children at the ALSAR Foundation On the occasion of Ramadan and due to the COVID-19 pandemic (declaration of curfew/quarantine across the country), food packages were given to 3,500 or- phans who were trying to survive under very difficult conditions. 2020 Albania Iftar Project in Collaboration with the ALSAR Foundation Instead of mass iftar meals that could not be organ- ised due to the COVID-19 pandemic, packaged iftar meals were distributed to 100 people in need for 30 days during the month of Ramadan. 2021 Albania Distribution of Food Packages for the Month of Ramadan to the Families of Orphan Children On the occasion of Ramadan and due to the eco- nomic difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, food packages were provided to 3,500 families with orphans. 2021 Albania Distributing Iftar Meal to Low-Income Families in Albania Instead of mass iftar meals that could not be organised due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hot iftar meals were delivered to the homes of those in need for 30 days, 100 people a day, during the month of Ramadan. 2021 Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Agricultural Support Project In the face of strict measures taken against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which has been impactful in many countries around the world and whose effect has been increasing for more than a year, many families' income levels have dropped significantly due to economic losses and production sector’s losses. Within the scope of the project, agricultural production support was provided to 500 families in the cantons of Tuzla, Una-Sana, Zenica-Doboj, and Central Bosnia of Bosnia and Herzegovina who were in need of financial assistance. Seeds, fertilisers, and equipment were provided to assist low-income fami- lies in attaining the agricultural production required, particularly for their own consumption. 2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Ramadan Food and Hygiene Package Support Project TİKA's "Erenler Sofrası" Ramadan Programme pro- vided food and hygiene packages to 1,000 families in need in Tuzla, Srebrenica, Central Bosnia (Vitez), Livno (Glamoc and Kupres), Sarajevo, and the Serbian entity (Bosanska Kostajnica, Prijedor, Doboj, Teslic, Kotor Varos, Bosanski Samac, Modrica, Prnjavor and Derventa). As part of the project, food and hygiene packages were delivered to Romanians and families in need, particularly those who had returned to their homes. 104 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina 500 Litres of Hand Sanitiser/ Antibacterial Gel Production Project Within the Scope of Combating COVID-19 Pan- demic 500 Litres of Hand Sanitiser/Antibacterial Gel Production Project Within the Scope of Com- bating COVID-19 Pandemic 2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina Protective Face Mask Production Project for Use in Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic Protective Face Mask Production Project for Use in Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic 2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina Seed Support Project for Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic Seed Support Project for Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic 2021 Croatia Croatia Ramadan Food Package Support Project Food packages were provided to 1,700 families facing difficult conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia. Packages containing a total of 31 tonnes of food were delivered to the families in need to meet their food needs for a certain period of time. 2020 Croatia Braca Bobetko Primary School Capacity Building Project Within the scope of the COVID-19 measures, TIKA provided 420 student lockers for children to leave their belongings and enter the classrooms (otherwise, they would have to remove their coats and shoes outside the school). 2020 Montenegro Acquisition of Basic Food and Cleaning Supplies TIKA provided basic food and cleaning supplies to 300 Bosnian and Albanian families residing in the Karabusko Polje and Sipcanik districts of the Tuzi Municipality, especially the elderly and disabled who were unable to leave their homes because of nationwide restrictions and the rapid spread of the disease. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 105 2021 Montenegro Supply Aid During the Ramadan of 2021 In consideration of the limited job opportuni- ties and financial difficulties in the northern region of Montenegro (Sanjak), food and cleaning supplies were distributed to 800 Muslim Bosnian and Albanian families in need during the Ramadan of 2021. 2021 Montenegro Supply Aid During the Ramadan of 2020 In consideration of the limited job opportuni- ties and financial difficulties in the northern region of Montenegro (Sanjak), food and cleaning supplies were distributed to 800 Muslim Bosnian and Albanian families in need during the Ramadan of 2020. 2020 Kosovo Fight Against COVID-19 Pandemic in Kosovo With the project, 1,600 packages consisting of basic food materials were distributed to day labourers and families in need, especially the elderly and patients with chronic diseases, including Turkish, Albanian, Bosnian, Romani, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities, in 9 mu- nicipalities in Kosovo, in cooperation with the municipalities and local NGOs. 2021 Kosovo Kosovo Ramadan Activities In Kosovo, 2,300 Ramadan aid packages consisting of basic food and hygiene mate- rials were distributed to day labourers and families in need, especially the elderly and patients with chronic diseases, including Turkish, Albanian, Bosnian, Romani, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities, in order to main- tain social peace and welfare in Kosovo where household economies were harmed due to stagnant economy during the COVID-19 pan- demic period. 2020 North Macedonia Food, cleaning and hygiene material aid for families in North Macedonia due to the COVID-19 pandemic Food, cleaning and hygiene material aid for orphans, elderly, disabled, people with chronic diseases and people in need in North Macedonia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 North Macedonia North Macedonia Hygiene Point Disinfectant Station Project In cooperation with the Islamic Religious Community of North Macedonia, the Ortho- dox Church of North Macedonia, the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies of North Macedonia, disinfectant station sup- port to be used in places of worship, kinder- gartens and various educational institutions was provided. 106 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 North Macedonia North Macedonia Healthy and Sustainable Education Project In order to mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, TIKA provided infra- red thermometers to be used in kindergar- tens, primary schools and various educational institutions. 2020 Hungary Food and Hygiene Package Support During Ramadan On the occasion of Ramadan, food and hy- giene packages were provided to the Cseppko Children's Centre and Szentendre Nursing Home for the Elderly and Disabled, affiliat- ed with the Hungarian Ministry of Human Resources, in order to provide support to the institutions most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 Hungary Yunus Emre Sofraları Food, Hygiene and Cleaning Package Support As part of the Ramadan activities organised by TIKA every year, 213 packages of various food, hygiene and cleaning products were provided to a total of 712 homeless people, including 130 in the Social Care Centre in the Erd Municipality, 140 in the Crisis Manage- ment Centre in Székesfehérvár, 350 in the Homeless Care Centre in Dunaujvâros, and 92 in the Social Care Centre in Salgotarjân. 2020 Moldova The Fight Against the COVID-19 Pandemic in Moldova Due to COVID-19, which has turned into a pandemic at the beginning of 2020, TIKA provided basic medical protection materials and equipment for the production of masks to Moldova in order to be in solidarity in the fight against this pandemic. 2021 Moldova Food and Hygiene Package Support During Ramadan Due to Ramadan, 4,000 food and hygiene aid packages were distributed to nursing homes, orphanages and soup kitchens across Moldo- va (Chisinau, Balti, Gagauzia). 2020 Romania Supply of Food and Hygiene Aid Packages as Part of the Fight Against COVID-19 Distribution of 1,500 food and hygiene pack- ages to low-income families with members over the age of 65 and families in need as part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in cooperation with the Constanta General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection, Constanta Turkish and Tatar Unions, Office of Mufti for Romanian Muslim Community, Bucharest 5th Sector Municipali- ty’s General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 107 2020 Romania Food and Hygiene Package Support During Ramadan Food and hygiene packages were distributed to 1,000 low-income families in the Bucharest and Dobruja regions during Ramadan. 2020 Romania Supply of Eid Clothing and Hygiene Materials to Orphan, Disabled Children and Children in Need of Protection During Ramadan Supply of Eid Clothing and Hygiene Materials to Orphan, Disabled Children and Children in Need of Protection During Ramadan 2021 Romania Supply of Food Aid Packages in Romania As a result of the cooperation with the Office of the Mufti in Romania, Turkish and Tatar Unions and National College Kemal Ataturk, 2,000 food aid packages were delivered to families in need in Dobruja and Bucharest during the Ramadan of 2021. 2020 Serbia Support for the Production of Masks and Hygiene Materials as Part of the Fight Against COVID-19 in the Sanjak Region As part of the fight against the COVID-19 pan- demic, which was affecting the Sanjak region, the Hatice Women's Association, which con- ducts various social activities for women and children in the region, was given five sewing machines and the necessary materials for 20,000 masks, as well as the necessary ma- terials for the production of soap and liquid disinfectant, in order to provide much-needed masks to the underprivileged people of San- jak. Materials produced by volunteer women were distributed to people in need. 2020 Serbia Production of 20,000 Protective Masks in Preševo As part of the fight against the COVID-19 pan- demic, ten volunteer women produced 20,000 masks using TIKA-provided materials in a sewing workshop in the Preševo region es- tablished with TIKA's support in 2018. These masks were then distributed free of charge to the local population. 2021 Ukraine Supply of Food Packages During Ramadan On the occasion of Ramadan, aid packages containing food products were distributed to 1,500 kin and Ukrainian families in need by the TIKA office. 108 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Kyrgyzstan Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Mongolia Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Algeria Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Colombia Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Sri Lanka Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Croatia Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Sudan Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Bulgaria Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 109 2020 Uzbekistan Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Libya Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Uganda Production of Medical Supplies with 3D Technology Masks with face shields were produced in collaboration with local partners and provid- ed to public institutions, organisations and healthcare personnel in the relevant country to fight against COVID-19. 2020 Bulgaria, Algeria, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Urgent and Innovative Solutions with 3D Technologies (Distance Education) TIKA supplied 3D printer settings training for the design and production of protective face shields to participants from four countries, where 3D printer usage training had been delivered as part of the Vocational Training and Employment Programme (MESİP) in the fight against COVID-19 via distance education. The participants, thus, contributed to their country's fight against COVID-19 by making newly-designed protective face shields. 2020 Mozambique Emergency Medicine Capacity Building Programme (ATKAP)- Methods of Fighting Against COVID-19 (Distance Education) The "Methods of Fighting Against COVID-19 Training," which was developed with experts from various NGOs and universities to share information and experience regarding the methods used by our country in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, was deliv- ered online. 110 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Mongolia Occupational Health and Safety Training (Distance Education) Within the Scope of IGEP-Mongolia COVID-19 As a result of the research conducted with the aim of sharing the knowledge and ex- perience with other countries regarding the methods developed by our country in the field of occupational health and safety in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, a distance education module titled "Training on Occupational Health and Safety Within the Scope of COVID-19" was developed in co- operation with the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services, General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety. Forty experts from the Mongolian Ministry of Labour and Social Security received Training on Occupa- tional Health and Safety Within the Scope of COVID-19 as part of the module. 2020 Kosovo Emergency Medicine Ca- pacity Building Programme (ATKAP)-Meth- ods of Fighting Against COV- ID-19 (Distance Education) The "Methods of Fighting Against COVID-19 Training," which was developed with experts from various NGOs and universities to share information and experience regarding the methods used by our country in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, was deliv- ered online. The training was attended by 68 physicians from healthcare facilities affiliated with the Ministry of Health of Kosovo. 2020 Uzbekistan Online Experience Sharing Programme The "Measures Taken by Municipalities in the COVID-19 Process" activity was completed with mayors' participation from Uzbekistan and Türkiye. 2020 Albania IGEP-Albania Training on Occupational Health and Safety Within the Scope of COVID-19 (Distance Education) With the aim of sharing the knowledge and experience with other countries regarding the methods developed by our country in the field of occupational health and safety in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, a distance education module titled "Training on Occupational Health and Safety Within the Scope of the COVID-19 Pandemic" was developed as part of the Occupational Safety Training Programme (IGEP) of the Coordi- nation Office for Education Projects of TIKA in cooperation with the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services, General Direc- torate of Occupational Health and Safety. IGEP-Albania Training on Occupational Health and Safety Within the scope of COVID-19 was held via distance education in Albania on November 26-27, 2020, as part of this module. The costs of the venue, interpreters, and other expenditures were covered within the scope of the training. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 111 2020 Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan Emergency Medicine Capacity Building Programme (ATKAP)- Methods of Fighting Against COVID-19 (Distance Education) It is a project aimed at delivering online the "Methods of Fighting Against COVID-19 Training," which was developed with experts from various NGOs and universities to share information and experience regarding the methods used by our country in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-one family physicians attended the online training from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). 2021 Afghanistan Emergency Medicine Capacity Building Programme (ATKAP)- Afghanistan- Methods of Fighting Against COVID-19 (Distance Education) The Kabul Programme Coordination Office requested that a training to convey our coun- try's experience in this field be organised so that Afghan physicians could benefit from it, as the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the country, and the Afghan health infrastructure was weak in overcoming the pandemic. Thus, on July 12-13, 2021, the AT- KAP-Afghanistan Methods of Fighting Against COVID-19 programme was held online. 2021 El Salvador Emergency Medicine Ca- pacity Building Programme (ATKAP)-El Salvador-Meth- ods of Fighting Against COV- ID-19 (Distance Education) The ATKAP Methods of Fighting Against COVID-19 training, prepared by the TIKA Co- ordination Office for Education Projects, was held online for healthcare personnel from El Salvador on August 24-27, 2021. 2020 Afghanistan/ Herat Providing Medical Supplies Support to the Herat Muflih Children's Hospital The Muflih Children's Hospital in Herat was temporarily relocated to Herat State Hospital and began to serve as a pandemic quaran- tine hospital. The hospital currently provides intensive care services with a capacity of 100 beds. A total of four sets of ventilators, two for adults and children and two for newborns, can be utilised to fight against COVID-19 as part of the general supply support provided to the hospital. 2021 Afghanistan/ Kabul Formation of Online Edu- cation Class in TIKA Kabul Continuing Education Centre An online education class was developed at the TIKA Kabul Office campus's Continuing Education Centre, allowing for distance edu- cation programmes and remote meetings on subjects relevant to TIKA’s mandate. 112 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Afghanistan/ Kabul Food and Hygiene Kit Support for 1,500 Families in Need Food and Hygiene kit support was provided to 1,500 families in need during Ramadan. 2020 Afghanistan/ Kabul Delivery of 3,000 Food Parcels to the Kabul Gover- norship Food support was supplied to 3,000 families in Kabul affected by the pandemic in collabo- ration with the Kabul Governorship. 2020 Afghanistan/ Kabul Medical Supply Aid to the Kabul Governorship Medical supply aid was provided to the Kabul Governorship to support its fight against the pandemic. 2020 Afghanistan/ Kabul Medical Device and Equip- ment Support to the Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan Some of the medical devices and equipment the Ministry of Health required were provided and delivered to the Ministry. 2020 Afghanistan/ Kabul Equipment and Medical Supplies Support to Kabul Ataturk Children’s Hospital The medical equipment and supplies needed by the Kabul Ataturk Children’s Hospital were provided and delivered. 2020 Afghanistan/ Kabul Medical Sup- plies Support to the Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan Some of the medical supplies the Ministry of Health required were provided and delivered to the Ministry. 2020 Afghanistan/ Mazar-i-Sharif Northern Afghanistan / Supporting the Fight Against COVID-19 When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in Afghanistan, along with the rest of the world, it was intended to provide mask support, but because none was available on the market, it was decided to produce them. Following that, production began when all required compo- nents were purchased, and 100,000 surgical masks and 1,000 face shields were produced by means of TIKA. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 113 2020 Afghanistan/ Mazar-i-Sharif "Graduates of the Faryab Province And- hoy District Vocational Course" Production of Mask and Healthcare Clothing Project Last year, a six-month vocational course was held for women in Faryab Province. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, graduate women in Faryab Province produced masks, gowns and coveralls for healthcare providers in Faryab Province with the support of TIKA. 2020 Azerbaijan Food and Cleaning Supplies Aid In April, food and cleaning supplies were distributed to 2,000 families in Azerbaijan who had been adversely affected by the COV- ID-19 pandemic, had low incomes, and had worsened household economies as a result of the fight against the pandemic, particularly those over 65, living alone, retired, and day labourers or unskilled workers. 2020 Azerbaijan Food Aid Campaign in Azerbaijan during the Month of Ramadan (2020) During the month of Ramadan, aid parcels containing basic food supplies, particularly oil, sugar, salt, flour, pasta, tomato paste, and rice, were distributed to 2,500 families in need due to COVID-19, including low-income families, migrants, families of martyrs, and Meskhetian Turks, with the cooperation of various institutions and organisations operat- ing in Azerbaijan, particularly the Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Ganja. 2020 Georgia Material Supply Project for the Production of Surgical Masks as part of the Fight Against COVID-19 As part of the fight against the COVID-19 pan- demic, fabrics and accessories were provided to the Vaziani Sewing and Shoe Workshop for the production of 15,000 surgical masks and to the Association “Imedi” Movement of IDP Women for Peace for the production of 10,000 surgical masks. Produced masks were distrib- uted to the migrants from Abkhazia for free. 2020 Georgia Food Aid Project for Citi- zens of Georgia as part of the Fight Against COVID-19 In order to combat the economic difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 1,000 food aid parcels were distributed to citizens in need, migrant families, veterans and orphans through collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Tbilisi, official au- thorities, and NGOs in the country. 114 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Georgia Support for Food and Hygiene Parcels as part of the Fight Against COVID-19 A total of 880 food and hygiene parcels were distributed to the needy, veterans, military and civilian citizens, migrants, the elderly, and orphans in various regions of Georgia through collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Tbilisi, local insti- tutions, official authorities, and NGOs in the country. 2020 Georgia Project of Free Bread Distribution to be Made in Vaziani Bakery as Part of the Fight Against COVID-19 Under the conditions of the COVID-19 pan- demic, TIKA provided the Vaziani Bakery with enough flour, salt, oil, and other supplies to distribute 30,000 loaves of free bread, and the produced bread was distributed to those who were displaced from Abkhazia. Bread cutting and packing machines were provided as part of the project to meet all hygiene standards under pandemic conditions. 2020 Georgia Organisation of Online Classes as Part of the "Stay at Home" Social Campaign in Georgia In collaboration with the Georgian Strategic Analysis Centre, the delivery of online courses in accordance with the country's agenda commenced with the course on "Public Health Security and Management of Emer- gency Situations" by Sergo Chikhladze, MD. (PhD-Health Policy). Public officials and media personnel were informed about the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the pandemic. About 100 individuals attend- ed the course. 2021 Georgia Supply of Stationery as part of the 10 Villages 10 Schools Project Due to the restart of education and train- ing activities in the Imereti Region of West Georgia, which had been interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the stationery needs of 200 poor students were met through the implementation of 10 village and 10 school projects. 2020 Kazakhstan Distribution of Food Parcels During the Month of Ramadan Due to the pandemic, the annual collective iftar organisations held on the occasion of Ramadan could not be held this year. For this reason, parcels containing food, cleaning supplies, and disinfectants were distributed to 500 families in need. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 115 2020 Kazakhstan Construction of an Open- plan Office for the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs In the pandemic conditions, where 80% of the employees of Kazakhstan state organs switched to the remote working system, it was decided to construct an open-plan office with the aim of increasing the number of per- sonnel that can work at the same time from 18 to 52, in accordance with the concept of social distance, thereby increasing produc- tivity. While the above-mentioned project was still in the process, it was expected to be completed by the end of October 2020. 2021 Kyrgyzstan Food and Hygiene Supplies Aid During the Month of Ramadan Food and hygiene supplies were distribut- ed to 3,000 families in need who had been affected by the two-year-long quarantine and the severe economic consequences it caused. 2020 Kyrgyzstan Food Aid Project as Part of the Fight Against COVID-19 in Kyrgyzstan During the month of Ramadan, food parcels were distributed to 4,500 families in need across the country at the request of the Min- istry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 2020 Kyrgyzstan Food Support in Cooperation with Non- governmental Organizations in Kyrgyzstan 2,500 food packages were distributed in order to support non-governmental organisations and reach those in need in a wider range by collaborating with NGOs that have close contact with families in need in the field and with whom we have previously engaged on different projects. 2021 Mongolia Electronic Equipment Supply for the Judicial General Council of Mongolia As part of the judicial reform efforts launched in Mongolia in 2013, our Agency provided aid for recording and storing audio and video footage in order to make judicial processes open and transparent, as well as for replacing certain broken or expired equipment in order to hold online hearings. 2021 Mongolia Food and Hygiene Material Assistance during Ramadan During Ramadan, 1,200 aid packages contain- ing food and hygiene materials were distrib- uted to disabled citizens living in Mongolia's various provinces and regions, non-govern- mental organisations engaged in activities for people in need of care, and people with low income levels. 116 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2021 Mongolia Food and Hy- giene Material Assistance on the occasion of Tsagaan Sar Festival Tsagaan Sar Feast (White Moon), one of the most important national holidays of Mongo- lia, falls on February 12-15, 2021. Our Agency distributed aid packages to 2,000 families between the aforementioned dates. 2020 Mongolia Mask Supply for the Mongolia Military Central Hospital Our Agency provided 15,000 anti-allergic fabric protective masks to be distributed to risk groups, particularly healthcare workers, at the Mongolia Military Central Hospital. 2020 Mongolia Project for Supporting the National Centre for Communicable Diseases Our Agency repaired and furnished the Ad- ministrative Department of the Surveillance and Research Work Office, as well as the hos- pital's doctor's on-call room, in order to im- prove the working environment and increase the work efficiency of the health personnel at the National Centre for Communicable Dis- eases, which conducted coordination studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 Mongolia Food and Hygiene Material Assistance during Ramadan Due to the month of Ramadan and the Coro- navirus (COVID-19), our Agency distributed 1,000 aid packages containing food and hy- giene materials to those in need in Mongolia. 2020 Mongolia Food and Hygiene Material Assistance during Ramadan Due to the month of Ramadan, our Coordi- nation Agency intends to distribute food and hygiene materials to poor and low-in- come families living in various provinces and regions. Previous food aids contributed to the recognition of Turkish culture by both locals and Mongolian authorities, and served as an example of solidarity. Furthermore, the implementation of quarantine several times throughout the country, as well as restrictions on some sectors due to the COVID-19 pan- demic, negatively impacted low-income and poor families with daily income. It is planned to distribute 1,200 aid packages containing food and hygiene materials to non-govern- mental organizations that carry out activities for people in need of care during Ramadan in collaboration with the Association of Coop- eration , in the hope that seeing our Agen- cy stand by low-income and poor families during such a difficult time will help further strengthen the ancient friendship between the two peoples and make contributions to humanitarian solidarity. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 117 2020 Mongolia Food and Hy- giene Material Assistance on the occasion of Tsagaan Sar Festival Because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mon- golia, quarantine has been in effect since November 11, 2020, causing financial hardship for many families who rely on daily income. Furthermore, the most important Mongolian National Holidays, "Tsagaan Sar Feast (White Moon)," falls on February 12-18, 2021. It is intended to distribute aid packages to 2,000 families between the dates specified. Meeting the aforementioned demand is viewed pos- itively, with the idea that seeing our Agency stand by low-income and poor families during this period, which is very sacred for the Mon- golian people, and during which they ritually offer treats, will contribute to the solidifica- tion of the ancient friendship between the two peoples. 2020 Uzbekistan Protective Ma- terial Supply as part of the fight against COVID-19 (1) 5,000 items of protective clothing were pro- vided at the request of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Health. 2020 Uzbekistan Protective Ma- terial Supply as part of the fight against COVID-19 (2) The personnel at the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan and the hospitals affiliated with the ministry continued to receive protective medical supplies. 2020 Uzbekistan Food Aid as part of the Fight against COVID-19 In collaboration with the Uzbekistan Youth Alliance, 1,000 food packages were distrib- uted. 2020 Tajikistan Maska and pro- tective cloth- ing supply to support Ta- jikistan in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic In collaboration with Tajikistan's Ministry of Health and Social Protection, 100,000 pro- tective masks and 1,000 pieces of protective clothing were provided for distribution to healthcare staff, diabetic patients, border guards, and families in need. 118 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Tajikistan Food and hygiene ma- terials supply to support Ta- jikistan in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic In collaboration with the International Social Security Association working under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan, food and hygiene packages were delivered to 1,000 low-income families resid- ing in five districts surrounding Dushanbe. 2020 Tajikistan Two funeral ve- hicles supply TIKA delivered two vehicles specially mani- factured in Türkiye to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Republic of Tajik- istan to be used for funeral transport. One of the vehicles was delivered to the Healthcare Directorate of Dushanbe City operating under the Dushanbe Municipality to be used in fu- neral transports within the city of Dushanbe, and the other was delivered to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan to be used in funeral transports to the regions outside the city of Dushanbe. 2021 Angola Angola Food Supply Project As part of the 2020 Ramadan food aid, 600 food packages were provided in Angola, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandem- ic which is still having a global impact. 2020 Benin Benin- Hygiene Mask Supply Project Upon the request of the Turkish Embassy in Cotonou, hygiene masks were distributed in Cotonou within the scope of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 Benin Sanitiser Aid Project to Benin Adjohoun TIKA Health Centre Distributing liquid sanitiser: 138 pieces of 250 ml; 150 pieces of 500 ml, 150 pieces of 1 lt. Upon the request of the Turkish Embassy in Cotonou, hygienic masks and sanitiser were provided to the Healthcare Centre opened by TIKA in Adjohoun. 2020 Burkina Faso Burkina Faso’s Demand for Hygiene Materials from Our Country Upon the request of our Ouagadougou Em- bassy, hygiene materials consisting of soap, paper, bleach, and detergent were donated to the pandemic hospital in Burkina Faso within the scope of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 119 2020 Algeria Cleaning and Hygiene Supplies Support to the Algerian Red Crescent Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Algerian Red Crescent sought aid from our Agency for the distribution of cleaning and hygiene supplies, particularly to the people living in Algeria's desert regions. Materials were dis- tributed to 1,000 people. 2020 Algeria Constructing a teleconference room in Algeria National Agency for the Development of Health Research The necessary infrastructure works and supplies were provided for the construction of a teleconference room within the National Agency for the Development of Health Re- search , which is located in Oran, Algeria, and with which the health personnel employed in all hospitals in Algeria is also academically affiliated. 2020 Algeria Medical Mask Supply to the Ministry of Health of Algeria Our Agency provided 30,000 medical masks requested by the Algerian Ministry of Health. 2020 Algeria Support to the Ministry of Vocational Training and Education of Algeria in the production of masks and protective clothing Within the scope of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the raw materials to produce 100,000 masks and 2,500 pieces of medical clothes were provided to the Ministry of Vocational Training and Education of Algeria. 2021 Algeria Oxygen Concentrator Supply to the Ministry of Health of Algeria 50 oxygen concentrators were provided as patient admission capacity of the hospitals remained insufficient due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in Algeria, and there was a high need for oxygen for the patients in the intensive care unit, and the oxygen produc- tion in Algeria and the number of oxygen supply devices in the hospitals could not meet this need. 120 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2021 Algeria Food aid to 400 families within the scope of COVID-19 pandemics During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, 12 tonnes of food were provided to the Algerian Red Crescent for distribution to families in need. 2021 Djibouti Food Aid Project of the Republic of Djibouti Following the COVID-19 pandemic, food aid consisting of 5 tons of flour, 5 tons of sugar, 5 tons of rice, 3 tons of dates, 5 thousand litres of sunflower oil, and 2.5 tons of milk powder was provided to a total of 1,000 low-income families living in Djibouti's capital city in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Solidarity of Djibouti. 2020 Djibouti Support Project for the Fight Against the COVID-19 Pandemic Protective and hygiene materials were provided to Djibouti Red Crescent field personnel, and medical supplies and cleaning kits were donated to 300 healthcare personnel as part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 Djibouti Increasing the Sanitation Capacity of Fruit and Veg- etable Sector Operators 11 handwashing stations (500 m3 fibreglass water reservoir and apparatus) were established in seven significant fruit and vegetable stores in Djibouti as part of cleaning and hygiene measures, as well as upgrading sanitation infrastructure in public areas or adopting alternative methods. 2020 Chad Support Project for the Fight Against the COVID-19 Pandemic A total of 100 mechanical hand washing systems with pedals were built, as well as 2,000 locally produced hand soaps were supplied to be distributed alongside the hand washing mechanisms. 2020 Eritrea Thermal Camera Grant The World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Asmara informed our Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Asmara that the Eritrean authorities needed a thermal camera to be used specifically at Asmara Airport due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, and our Agency provided and transported the device. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 121 2021 Eswatini COVID-19 Protective Medical Supply Support Project for Eswatini In Eswatini, the necessary protective medical supplies were provided to ease the health sector's burden, provide the relevant health personnel's access to protective supplies, and positively reduce the spread and transmission processes of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 Ethiopia 2020 Emergency Humanitarian Aid Distribution Project for Ethiopia Food aid parcels were supplied to 700 fam- ilies in the Oromiya region who were facing internal migration as a result of Ethiopia's ongoing internal conflicts. 2020 Ethiopia Pandemic Support Project for the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Food prices in Ethiopia rose due to floods, locust invasion, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Ethiopia requested food from our Coordina- tion Agency (rice, oil, dates) to be given in IDP camps and orphanages under the auspices of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council. A total of 2,000 food parcels were prepared for distribution. 2021 Palestine Gaza Hygiene Parcels Our Agency supplied hygiene kits to the Gaza Zakat Committee, which would be delivered to 2000 families. 2021 Palestine Emergency Hygiene Supplies Request from the Ministry of Health of Palestine In response to a request from the Ministry of Health of Palestine, our Agency provided 350 health personnel who may come into direct contact with a COVID-19 patient with protective equipment sufficient for 14 days, the critical period of the disease, as well as chlorine and other chemicals to be used for disinfecting public areas. 2020 Palestine Medical Supplies Request from East Jerusalem Augusta Victoria Hospital During the pandemic, our Agency provided some of the medical and hygiene products required by the Augusta Victoria Hospital. 122 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2021 Palestine Soap-making Workshop Modernisation of Beit Jala Cultural Heritage Preservation Women's Association In response to a request for support in modernising the workshop where the "Beit Jala Cultural Heritage Preservation Women's Association," which has been operating in Beit Jala Town, Palestine, since 2008, and pro- ducing soap using old techniques, Our Agency agreed to support the project considering that the production would continue under more hygienic and modern conditions, the cost and labour force would be reduced, and since olive oil is used to make soap. It was also thought that this would indirectly con- tribute to the development of the economic and social structures of the olive oil produc- ers and the women working in the workshop if our Agency supports the aforementioned soap-making workshop. Our Agency support- ed the project, which was thought to contrib- ute to the economic development of women who are members of the association and are trying to survive under difficult conditions due to the pandemic and unemployment. 2020 The Gambia Support Project for the Gambia’s Fight Against COVID-19 Hand washing stations were constructed at designated points to avoid the spread of the pandemic due to the shortage of personal hygiene facilities. 2020 The Gambia Mask Produc- tion to Support the Gambia’s Fight Against COVID-19 Equipment support was provided to a local non-profit workshop to be used in the mask production as part of the support for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 Guinea Hygiene and Consumable Distribution Project for the Fight Against COVID-19 It was a project to supply 400 kits of hygiene and consumables. 2020 Guinea Hygiene Mate- rial Distribu- tion Project for 25 Thousand Families as part of Guinea’s Fight Against COV- ID-19 It was a project to provide each family with four packs of soap. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 123 2020 Guinea 2020 Guinea Food Distribution Project It was a project to provide 1,000 food parcels. 2021 Guinea Hygiene Parcel Distribution to Hospitals Serving in Conakry Since the vaccination would not be available to less developed or developing countries until 2023 and Ramadan was approaching, within the scope of the fight against the COV- ID-19, it was deemed appropriate to distribute 500 hygiene parcels consisting of 5 litres of liquid soap, 50 boxes of masks, and 1 litre of antibacterial materials to epidemic hospitals and other hospitals serving in the capital. 2021 Guinea 2021 Guinea Food Support Project In collaboration with the Ministry of the Dis- abled and Orphans of the Republic of Guinea, food parcels containing 25 kg of rice, 10 kg of sugar, 5 litres of oil, and 100 tea packages were provided to 1000 families in need, par- ticularly disabled and orphan families, on the occasion of Ramadan. 2021 Guinea Food Supply to the Bakery for Disabled People’s Complex in Guinea as part of the Ramadan Programme 200 sacks of flour, 20 trucks of wood, and other bread-making supplies were purchased to improve bread production at the Disabled People's Complex. 2020 Republic of South Africa The Republic of South Africa and Kingdom of Lesotho's Hygiene Supply Project in Fighting Against COVID-19 In the Republic of South Africa and Leso- tho, masks, gloves, and disinfectants were donated primarily to impoverished families in Johannesburg's Soweto region. 2021 South Sudan Increasing Hy- giene Against the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Sudan The novel coronavirus pandemic hit South Su- dan, and improving personal hygiene would help prevent the disease from spreading further. Soap, detergent, and sanitary napkins were distributed to 510 households to achieve this goal. 124 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 South Sudan Support in the Fight Against COVID-19 in South Sudan Novel coronavirus cases first appeared in South Sudan in mid-April. Even though the number of cases was minimal, protective equipment was provided to the country with inadequate healthcare infrastructure. The parcels contained goggles, gloves, disinfect- ants, and a sprayer. 2020 South Sudan Support Project for Confident Children out of Conflict Orphanage Confident Children out of Conflict Orphanage (NGO), operating in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, was supplied with cleaning and food materials required by the children. Protec- tive equipment against COVID-19 was also provided. 2020 South Sudan Establishment of Soap Production Workshop Project With the establishment of the workshop, 250 women are able to earn a living by producing 1200 litres of liquid soap and 1000 bars of soap. 2020 South Sudan Supporting Tailoring Course Sewing machines, fabric, thread, and rubber were provided to a tailoring course run by a non-governmental organisation in Juba. 85,000 reusable masks were produced using the capacity provided. 2020 Iraq Regarding Food Aid to the Cities of Erbil and Kirkuk. It was a project to distribute food parcels to 4,000 families. 2020 Iraq Food Aid to Needy Families in Iraq It was a project to distribute food parcels to 5,000 families. 2020 Cameroon Support Programme in the Fight Against COVID-19 in Cameroon Our Agency provided support to the Came- roon Ministry of Health's control-follow-up system, cleaning, and disinfection services. Within the scope of combating the COVID-19, a variety of medical equipment and devices were provided. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 125 2020 Cameroon Project for the Production and Distribution of Masks in the Fight Against COVID-19 in Cameroon It was a project to provide materials for the production of washable masks to the Muslim Women's Future Association, which we supported in opening a sewing workshop in Cameroon's Ngaoundéré province as part of the fight against COVID-19. 2020 Cameroon Cameroon 2020 Food Aid Project It was a project to distribute food parcels to 1,250 families. 2020 Kenya Grant Project for Food and Hygiene Parcels in Kenya It was a project to provide 1,200 families with food and hygiene parcels. 2020 Kenya Water Tank and Hygiene Kit Support Project for Flood Victims in Baringo County It was a project to provide access to safe housing, healthy food, clean water, water tanks, and hygiene kits to enhance infrastruc- ture capacity. 2021 Kenya Distribution of Food and Hygiene Parcels in Nairobi, Kenya during the Month of Ramadan It was a project to support the fight against COVID-19 by distributing 1,200 food and hy- giene packages to Muslims living in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya's capital. 2020 Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Meeting the Needs of Individuals and Children with Disabilities It was a project to provide adult and chil- dren diapers to 400 disabled people for two months. 2021 Lesotho The Kingdom of Lesotho's Request for COVID-19 Support The Kingdom of Lesotho's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations requested Personal Protective Equipment in the fight against COVID-19, and the request was ap- proved considering the importance and scope of the need encountered during the COVID-19 process as well as its significant impact on our bilateral relations, and the recognition of our Agency. 126 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Libya Medical and Cleaning Supplies for 1,000 Families Across Libya in the Fight Against COVID-19 Pan- demic 1,000 families received cleaning and medical supplies as part of the project. 2021 Libya Medical and Hygiene Supplies for 1,500 Families in Need in the Fight Against COVID-19 Pandemic in Libya It was a project to distribute medical and cleaning supplies, including medical gloves, medical hygiene supplies, medical masks, hand soap, shampoo, and kitchen detergent, to 1,500 families in an effort to meet their medical and cleaning needs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 Lebanon Makassed Philanthropic Islamic Associ- ation of Beirut Request in the Fight Against COVID-19 Makassed Philanthropic Islamic Association of Beirut which works in health and educa- tion, fights COVID-19 and has trouble getting medical aid. Therefore, medical equipment was donated to the association. 2020 Lebanon Support for the Islamic Civil Defence Organisa- tion for the Fight Against COVID-19 in Lebanon Within the scope of the fight against the COV- ID-19, our Agency provided the Islamic Civil Organisation in Lebanon with medical and hygiene supplies. 2020 Lebanon Food Aid in Lebanon It was a project that provides 1250 families with food. 2021 Mauritania Mauritania / Food Aid Project With the support of our Embassy in Nouak- chott, Mauritania, 400 households in need re- ceived food from the project during Ramadan in 2020. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 127 2020 Mozambique Raising Aware- ness about Hygiene in Mozambique It was a project to provide hygiene training, posters, and hygiene supplies to residents of nursing homes and orphanages, who were the most vulnerable to the pandemic. 2020 Mozambique Mask Produc- tion in Mozam- bique It was a project to provide fabric, interlining, rubber, thread, scissors, and iron to produce 20,000 masks at the Maputo Municipality's Continuous Sewing Centre as part of COVID 19 measures. (2020) 2020 Namibia The Namibian Police Force's Request for Support in the Fight Against COVID-19 It was a project to supply stationery and cleaning equipment. 2020 Namibia Ministry of Health of Namibia's Request for Support in the Fight Against COVID-19 It was a project to support UNFPA's (United Nations Population Fund) pandemic preven- tion initiatives in collaboration with other international aid organisations, with the goal of providing preventive materials to Namibia's Ministry of Health. 2020 Namibia COVID-19 Sup- port Project for Children with Disabili- ties and Their Families It was a project to distribute food and clean- ing supplies. 2020 The Central African Republic Fight Against COVID-19 Project in the Central African Republic It was a project to provide various medical supplies and equipment to the Central Afri- can Republic's capital, Bangui, to support the fight against COVID-19. 1 ventilator, 40 aspira- tors, 10,000 masks, 250 protective glasses, 200 gloves, 150 coveralls, 1,000 nebulizers, and 3 tons of disinfectant were donated as part of the project. 2020 Senegal Senegal Min- istry of Health Request for Support in the Fight Against COVID-19 It was a project to provide consumables, med- ical devices, and medicines. 128 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Senegal Senegal Food Aid Programme It was a project to distribute 500 food parcels. 2020 Sierra Leone National Food Basket Project 1,000 families in need received food parcels containing rice, sugar, oil, salt, and baby food. 2021 Sierra Leone 2021 Ramadan Food Aid Project in Sierra Leone Food aid packages containing rice, oil, onion, tomato paste, salt, sugar, tea, and milk were provided to 500 needy households in Sierra Leonean. 2020 Somalia Assistance Project for the Ministry of Health Development (MoHD) of Somaliland within the Context of the COVID-19 Outbreak It is the project of donating certain products and equipment, such as disinfectants and cleaning materials, to the Somaliland admin- istration to be used as part of the COVID-19 outbreak response. 2020 Somalia Hospital Bed Delivery to Somalia 100 hospital beds were donated to the Minis- try of Health of Somalia. 2020 Sudan COVID-19 Equipment to Sudan’s East Darfur State It is a project to offer medical supplies to Sudan's East Darfur State in the fight against COVID-19. 2020 Sudan Assistance to the South Darfur State in the fight against COVID-19 In order to support the fight against COVID-19 in the region, medical supplies were provided to Nyala Sudan Turkish Hospital. 2021 Sudan Renovation of the Water Testing Laboratory in Nyala, South Darfur, Sudan Renovation of a water testing laboratory in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur in Sudan, in order to boost the usage of potable water and prevent water-borne diseases TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 129 2020 Syria Support Project for the Establishment of a Disinfectant Workshop in Azaz Setup of a workshop (4 tonnes of production and distribution were completed.) 2020 Syria Support Project for the Mask Manufacturing Workshop in Azaz Our Agency offered support to the workshop created within the Azaz Public Training Cen- tre for the manufacturing of surgical masks by donating the materials utilised in mask production (rubber, wire, rope, printed box, etc.) 2020 Syria Project for Mask Manufacturing and Women Employment in Al-Bab’s Public Training Centre Supplying Mask Sewing Machines 2020 Syria Support Project for the Installation of a Surface Disinfectant Manufacturing Workshop in the Mare' Subdistrict Public Training Centre Workshop installation (10 tonnes of produc- tion and distribution were completed.) 2020 Syria Support Project for the Installation of a Liquid Soap Production Workshop in the Akhtarin Subdistrict Public Training Centre Workshop installation (5 tonnes of production and) distribution were completed.) 2020 Syria Support Project for the Establishment of a Surface Cleaner Production Workshop in the Soran Region Public Education Centre Workshop installation (5 tonnes of production and distribution were completed.) 130 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Syria Support Pro- ject for the Es- tablishment of a Liquid Soap Production Workshop in the Çobanbey Region Public Education Centre Workshop installation (5 tonnes of production and distribution were completed.) 2020 Syria Procurement of Raw Materi- als for Existing Workshops in Northern Syria Raw Material Procurement for Existing Shops 2021 Syria Pandemic Pro- tection Project in the Euphra- tes Shield Operation Area (FKHB) The region's ongoing pandemic circumstanc- es necessitate the continued use of cleansers and disinfectants. In this regard, the contacts with the Governorate of Kilis aim to sell the products at cost and to build a system that will meet the region's demands on a regular basis, so ensuring the project's sustainability. 2020 Tanzania COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment to Tanzania Pris- ons Service It is the project of donating cleaning supplies and medical masks to the Tanzania Prisons Service in the fight against COVID-19 pan- demic. 2020 Tanzania Donation of Medical Equipment to the Ministry of Health of Zan- zibar Project in Combating COVID-19 It is the project of donating certain needed equipment to Tanzania’s semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar as part of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 131 2020 Togo Donation of Surgical Masks and Portable Washbasins to Togo in Combating COVID-19 It is the project of donating mask manufac- turing supplies and portable washbasins. 2020 Tunisia Expanding the Capacity of the Radiology Department of the Abderrah- mane Mami Pneumophisti- ology Hospital in the Fight Against COV- ID-19 It is the project of supplying a DXR flat panel detector and imaging system, as well as a dry laser imager, to the Abderrahmane Mami Pneumophistiology Hospital in Ariana, Tunisia, as part of the efforts to fight against COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 Tunisia Assistance to the National Artisans Office of Tunisia (ONAT) in the Manufacturing of Personal Protective Medical Equip- ment Assistance was provided in supplying the raw material needed by the National Artisans Office of Tunisia in order to voluntarily manu- facture personal protective textile equipment needed urgently such as medical masks, pro- tective coveralls, surgical caps, and medical gowns to be used by personnel involved in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and performing basic public services during the process. 2020 Tunisia Emergency Ambulance Request of the Ministry of Health of Tunisia Our Agency provided ambulances for the safe transfer of patients by the Ministry of Health of Tunisia as part of the fight against the COV- ID-19 pandemic. 2020 Tunisia Distribution of Food Packages and Hygiene Kits to Sub-Sa- haran African Migrants of Tunisia Within the scope of Ramadan activities in 2020, our Agency, in collaboration with the Tunisian Union of Social Solidarity (UTSS), provided aid packages containing flour, pasta, vermicelli, rice, sugar, tomato paste, milk, semolina, as well as soap, bleach, sanitary pads, diapers, and wet wipes to be distribut- ed to approximately 180 Sub-Saharan African migrant families living in and around Tunisia. 132 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2021 Tunisia Setup of a Mobile Haemodialysis Unit at Medenine Habib Bourguiba University Hospital A mobile haemodialysis unit was set up at Ha- bib Bourguiba University Hospital, the largest hospital in the Medenine region of Tunisia, to serve patients with renal failure in the inten- sive care unit, as well as patients who need to be isolated owing to COVID-19 and other health concerns. 2021 Tunisia Medical Consumables Support to El Hamma Regional Hospital El Hamma Regional Hospital, the largest public hospital in the region linked to Hamma Municipality of Gabès city, which is located at central Tunisia, was provided with urgent- ly needed medical consumable support of disposable masks, gloves, gowns, coveralls, bonnets, shoe covers, and protective goggles in the fight against COVID-19. 2020 Uganda Providing Assistance to Uganda in the Fight Against COVID-19 Project 100 bicycles were donated to increase the mobilisation of health staff and administra- tive personnel who are critical in the fight against the pandemic. 2020 Uganda Providing Assistance to Uganda in the Fight Against COVID-19 Project It is a food aid project to 1000 families in need in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda. 2020 Yemen Fight against COVID-19 in Yemen Project There is a lack of adequate awareness regard- ing the COVID-19 pandemic in Yemen because of the country's current lack of opportunities, and hospitals that are attempting to provide services with insufficient resources lack crit- ical equipment and masks. To increase Yem- en's capacity to combat epidemic, healthcare workers were trained, and masks, one of the most required items, were donated. 2020 Yemen Installation of Thermal Camera Systems at Aden International Airport Thermal camera systems have been installed at Aden International Airport's passenger terminals for arrivals and departures to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure passenger safety. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 133 2020 Yemen Project for Training Healthcare Personnel in Lahij, Dali, and Aden on COVID-19 Prevention Measures In cooperation with the Ministry of Health, approximately 500 healthcare profession- als received COVID-19 training, and hygiene equipment were supplied. 2020 Pakistan Donation of Ramadan Food Packages for Low-Income Families Affected by the COVID-19 in cooperation with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony of Pakistan 1,000 families earning daily wages in Khyber Province and residing in the FATA region, which recently joined the KPK province of Pakistan and has suffered the most from ter- rorism, received Ramadan packages contain- ing basic foodstuffs. http://www.tika.gov.tr/tr/haber/ti- ka%27dan_ pakistan%27da_yerlerinden_edil- mis_1000_ aileye_gida_yardimi-59456 2020 Pakistan Assistance to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Hospital in the fight against COVID-19 Medical supplies such as masks, gloves, protective goggles and coveralls, corona kits, disinfectants, etc. were delivered to the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Hospital, which was constructed by our Agency in the city of Muzaffargarh in the southern Punjab region of Pakistan and has played a vital role in the fight against COVID-19, which has spread all over the world. http://www.tika. gov.tr/tr/haber/tika_paki- stan_in_kovid19_ile_ mucadelesine_destek_ vermeye_devam_edi- yor-57208 2020 Pakistan Humanitarian Aid to Families of Casual Workers Affected by the COVID-19 300 families earning daily wages in the Mardan District of Khyber Paktunva Prov- ince were set to receive packages of basic foodstuffs, which have been supplied and delivered to families in need. http://www.tika.gov.tr/tr/haber/ tika_ kovid_19_ile_mucadele_eden_pakis- tan%27a_destegini_surduruyor-56625 134 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Pakistan Food Package Assistance to Families of Casual Work- ers Affected by the COVID-19 In cooperation with the Ameer Begum Welfare Trust, 300 families earning daily wages in the Lahore Province were granted with packages of basic foodstuffs, which have been supplied and delivered to fami- lies in need. http://www.tika.gov.tr/tr/haber/ tika_kovid_19_ile_mucadele_eden_pakis- tan%27a_destegini_surduruyor-56625 2020 Pakistan Donation of Ramadan Food Packages for Low-Income Families Af- fected by the COVID-19 in co- operation with Bait-ul-Mal 1,500 families earning daily wages and resid- ing in Swat District of Khayber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province of Pakistan, which has suf- fered the most from terrorism, received Ram- adan packages containing basic foodstuffs. 2020 Pakistan Food Package Assistance to Low-income Families Af- fected by the Pandemic The process of combating COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the city of Dera Ismail Khan, which has a population of 1.4 million and is located on the border of FATA in Paki- stan's KPK Province. Families earning a daily wage in the city were provided with food packages comprising of basic foodstuffs. 2020 Pakistan Support Project for Combating COVID-19 in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Due to the nationwide closure of business- es, extremely low-income households and families surviving on daily wages are in a very challenging financial situation. One month's worth of food packages were deliv- ered to 1,000 impoverished families living in the coastal parts of Pakistan's Balochistan Province who were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. http://www.tika.gov.tr/tr/haber/tika_kovid19_ salginiyla_mucadelede_pakistan_halkini_des- teklemeye_devam_ediyor-56842 TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 135 2020 Pakistan Assistance to 1,000 Impover- ished Families in Karachi The COVID-19 virus, which has become a worldwide pandemic, has mostly affected the low-income families in Karachi, where the Pakistani industrial sector is stationed and where working families prominently reside in. Due to the nationwide closure of businesses, families living on daily wages are suffering financial difficulties. In order to support these families, food assistance was supplied to 1,000 impoverished households in Lyari Town, where the population of impoverished people is dense. http://www.tika.gov.tr/ tr/haber/turki- ye%27nin_pakistan%27da_ko- vid19_salg- ini_ile_mucadeleye_destegi_de- vam_edi- yor-56650 2020 Pakistan Ramadan Activities in Karachi The COVID-19 virus, which became a pan- demic after spreading over the world, has also had a detrimental effect on Pakistan. In order to mitigate the adverse effects of the COVID-19, our Agency distributed food packages to 2,000 households in Orangi Town, Gulistan-e-Johar, Korangi Town, and Mubarak Village in Karachi, Pakistan, as it does yearly. http://www.tika.gov.tr/tr/haber/ tika%27dan_ karaci%27de_2_000_aileye_ra- mazan_yardi- mi-57671 2020 Pakistan Ramadan Food Distribution Project for Sind Province During the month of Ramadan, a food distribution project was planned for 1,000 impoverished households in the Tando Allah Yar District of Sindh Province, the most im- poverished province in the country, which has endured economic hardships as a result of the COVID-19. 2021 Pakistan Ramadan Food Package Distri- bution During the month of Ramadan, a project to distribute food packages to impoverished families was implemented in an effort to support the Pakistani people, who are experi- encing financial difficulties due to the global spread of the COVID-19. The project included 1,300 families residing in one of the world's largest landfills, the Surjani Town Garbage Dumping Area. https://twitter.com/Karac- hiTika/sta- tus/1384827012435546113 136 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2021 Pakistan Ramadan Food Package Support Project for Low-Income Families in Pakistan Since the pandemic had a severe impact on the Charsadda District of Khyber Pakhtunkh- wa Province, and people's basic food needs had increased as Ramadan approached, Ramadan food packages were needed to be provided. In this context, Ramadan food packages were distributed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province's Charshadda, Dera Ismail Khan, Mardan, and Peshawar, as well as Muzaffarabad, the capital of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Region. https://www.trtavaz.com.tr/haber/ tur/ avrasyadan/tikadan-pakistanda-4-bin-aile- ye-55-tonluk-ramazan-yardimi/608bcfbc01a- 30a2044438ef0 2020 Philippines Food Aid and Hygiene Kits for COVID-19 Victims in Mindanao Food assistance and hygiene packages were provided to help families in the city of Co- tabato on the island of Mindanao, Philippines, who had been adversely affected by the country-wide quarantine imposed in response to COVID-19. 2020 Philippines Project on the Contribution to Employment in the Manila Municipality In cooperation with the Public Employment Service Office of the Manila Municipality of the Philippines, the project aims to establish a sewing workshop in order to create a new employment area for tailors who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic and to distribute free masks to economically disad- vantaged groups. 2020 Bangladesh Mask Donation to the Dhaka Diplomatic Security Police 25,000 medical masks were granted to the Diplomatic Security Division of Dhaka Metro- politan Police 2020 Bangladesh Medical Supplies to Chittagong State Hospital 5,000 medical masks, 1,000 N95 masks, 1,000 personal protective equipment, and two medical ventilators were donated to the Chit- tagong State Hospital as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response. 2020 Bangladesh Medical Equipment Support to Bangladesh Ministry of Health The efforts of the Bangladesh Ministry of Health to fight COVID-19 were supported. Within the scope of the project, 1,000 N95 masks, 1,000 PPE clothes, 5,000 medical masks, and two ventilators were donated. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 137 2020 Bangladesh Distribution of 5,000 hygiene packages to Rohingya refugees As part of the fight against COVID-19, hygiene packages were distributed to 5,000 families residing in the refugee camp number 16, one of the camps inhabited by Rohingya refugees fleeing from the oppression and violence in Myanmar. 2020 Mexico COVID-19 and Ramadan Package Aid 170 parcels containing N95 masks, disinfect- ant gels, basic food and cleaning materials were delivered to the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI) in the capital city of Mexico City to be distributed to families in need living in the states of Chiapas and Oaxa- ca, where the indigenous population is dense. Approximately 1,000 people benefited from the prepared parcels. 2021 Haiti Medical Equipment Aid to Haiti as part of the fight against COVID-19 As response to the request of the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Santo Domingo, as part of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the whole world, medical equipment consisting of disposable masks, N-95 masks, gloves, protective clothing, visors was provided to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which are located in the Caribbe- an region where the income level is low and health/social security services cannot be provided sufficiently. 2020 Guatemala Food and Hygiene Package Aid to the Muslim community in Guatemala The COVID-19 pandemic, which started in China at the end of 2019 and spread to the whole world, is also spreading rapidly in Cen- tral and South America, and food and hygiene packages were distributed to Muslims and other religious groups in Guatemala, the most populous country of Central America. 2020 Costa Rica Support for Costa Rica in the fight against COVID-19 Upon the request of Embassy of Türkiye in San Jose to our Agency after the meetings with the Costa Rican social security fund, 25,000 FFP-2 masks were donated to support the healthcare personnel in Costa Rica in their fight against COVID-19. 2020 Nicaragua Support for Nicaragua in the fight against COVID-19 As a result of the negotiations between the Embassy of Türkiye in San Jose and Nicara- guan authorities, 42,770 medical masks and 11,220 N-95 masks were provided in order to support Nicaragua in the fight against COVID-19. 138 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Venezuela Ramadan Aid to Venezuela 400 food and hygiene parcels were distribut- ed to Muslim and non-Muslim communities living in Venezuela to support the people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and to help those in need during Ramadan. 2020 Colombia Equipment Supply Donation Project to the Colombia Cartagena Airport Our Agency provided two sets of thermal cameras in order to ensure health security at the International Airport of Cartagena, Colom- bia's most important tourism centre, where 2 million people live. 2020 Colombia Strengthening Colombia's Health and Health Security Infrastructure Three sets of thermal cameras to be used in the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Colombia, the Ministry of Agriculture and Development service building and the Choco Department Governorate service building, and three respirators to be used in the Choco Department Hospital were provided. 2020 Brazil Masks with visor Supply for Healthcare Personnel in Sao Paulo, Brazil In Sao Paulo, one of the cities most affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil, masks with visors were purchased at the rate of 5,000 USD to be distributed to healthcare personnel. 2020 Peru Equipment Support Project to Peru Tumbes Regional Hospital in the scope of COVID-19 Due to the increasing number of coronavirus cases in Tumbes Regional Hospital on Peru's border with Ecuador, various medical equip- ment and materials were provided to be used in intensive care units. Peruvian Foreign Min- ister and Tumbes Regional Governor attended the delivery ceremony. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 139 2020 Colombia Emergency Humanitarian Aid to the Colombian Cundinamarca Region for the Fight Against the Pandemic 500 food and hygiene packages and 500 dis- ease prevention kits for 1,000 families living in rural areas, in areas with limited access to resources and at the poverty level, in the Cundinamarca Department, where the num- ber of coronavirus infected patients currently detected in Colombia is the highest. 2020 Colombia Equipment for the Coronavirus Pandemic Emergency Care Centre In Bogota, which was most affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Colombia, 250 bed sets were provided to be used in CORFERIAS, the largest fairground of the city, which was converted into a temporary patient treatment care centre as part of the fight against the pandemic. 2020 People’s Republic of China Medical Equipment Support as part of the Fight against COVID-19 Materials such as biohazard suits, 3-layer filter masks, protective goggles, protective masks, protective aprons, which the People's Republic of China urgently needs in the fight against the pandemic, were delivered by the military plane (Koca Yusuf) sent from Türkiye to evacuate citizens in China. This aid was the first COVID aid our country has sent to the region. 2020 Chile COVID-19 Aid to Santiago Mustafa Kemal Atatürk School In 2020, parcels of food and hygiene materials were distributed to the families of 323 stu- dents studying at the Mustafa Kemal Atatürk School located in Santiago, the capital of Chile, for the fight against COVID-19. 2020 Ecuador Project for Strengthening Ecuador's Health and Health Security Infrastructure In order to strengthen the health and health security infrastructure across the country in Ecuador, two sets of thermal cameras to be used in Ministry of Foreign Affairs service buildings and two respirators to be used in hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health were provided. 140 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Colombia Colombia Ramadan Aid 300 food parcels were distributed in Maicao, Colombia, within the scope of distribution of aid parcels to Muslim and non-Muslim com- munities in South American countries both on the occasion of the COVID pandemic and Ramadan. 2020 Guyana Guyana Ramadan Aid 200 food parcels were purchased in Guyana, within the scope of distribution of aid parcels to Muslim and non-Muslim communities in South American countries both on the occa- sion of the COVID pandemic and Ramadan. 2020 Ecuador Ecuador Ramadan Aid 500 food parcels were distributed in Ecuador, within the scope of distribution of aid parcels to Muslim and non-Muslim communities in South American countries both on the occa- sion of the COVID pandemic and Ramadan. 2020 Brazil Brazil Food Parcel Distribution Project Food and hygiene parcel aid was made to 250 families within the scope of distribution of aid parcels to Muslim and non-Muslim com- munities in South American countries both on the occasion of the COVID pandemic and Ramadan. 2020 Bolivia Bolivia Ramadan Aid 150 food parcels were distributed in Bolivia as part of the distribution of aid parcels to Mus- lim and non-Muslim communities in South American countries both on the occasion of the COVID pandemic and Ramadan. 2020 Venezuela Venezuela Ramadan Aid 400 food and hygiene parcels were distribut- ed to Muslim and non-Muslim communities in the country to aid those in need during Ramadan and to support those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 141 2020 Peru Peru Ramadan Aid-1 Food and hygiene parcels were distributed to 250 families in Lima, the capital of Peru. 2020 Peru Peru Ramadan Aid-2 Food and hygiene parcels were distributed to 250 families in Lima, the capital of Peru. 2020 Colombia Establishment of a Medical Mask Production Facility in Colombia's Narino Region In order to provide employment opportunities for women living in the region, the Economic Production Chain project was implemented, and mask production machines were provid- ed for the establishment of a medical mask production facility where women living in the Department could produce and sell masks. 2021 Brazil Food Parcel Distribution to Brazil Due to COVID In 2021, food aid was distributed to 100 households affected by the adverse condi- tions created by the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, through the Municipality of Sao Paulo and the Santos Islam Mosque. 2021 Myanmar Donation of 131 Oxygen Concentrators In the context of fighting COVID-19 in Myanmar, 131 oxygen concentrators with a capacity of 10l/m were procured and donated to the Myanmar Red Cross under the scope of the project conveyed to our Agency via ASEAN. 2020 Myanmar COVID-19 Support for Sittwe District in Arakan State Protective equipment and hygiene materials were distributed for the use of approximately 3,000 families living in the camps and health personnel working in the region in Arakan State. 142 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 2020 Myanmar Food Aid for Sittwe District in Arakan State Aid parcels were distributed to Muslims living in the Aung Mingalar Quarter of the Sittwe District in Arakan State and Buddhist families with limited access to food in nearby areas. Approximately 10,000 people affected by conflicts and having difficulty getting access to food as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic were distributed with special precautions and provided with information on basic precau- tions against the pandemic. Families consist- ing of the sick, disabled, elderly, pregnant, and children who were unable to make the journey to the distribution area were identi- fied and delivered food parcels. 2021 Cambodia Food Aid for Ramadan and COVID-19 In Cambodia, food parcel distribution for approximately 1,000 people and an iftar programme for 100 people were organised on the occasion of the month of Ramadan. The organisation was carried out through our Embassy. 2020 Cambodia Emergency Assistance Project for Flood Victims in Cambodia Food parcels were distributed to 3,500 families affected by the October 2020 flood disaster in Cambodia. Approximately 14,000 people's emergency needs were met with aid parcels containing rice, pasta, fish sauce, salt, oil, soap, and dishwashing liquid. 2021 Thailand Food Aid for Ramadan and COVID-19 Food parcels were distributed to approxi- mately 1,200 people in the south of Thailand on the occasion of the month of Ramadan. The organisation was carried out through our Embassy. 2020 Thailand Food Aid for Ramadan and COVID-19 In collaboration with the Central Islamic Council (CICOT), which is affiliated with the Sheikhul Islam Office of Thailand, aid was provided to the poor Muslim population in the southern region of Thailand, which was afflicted by COVID-19. In this context, basic food parcels containing a variety of food, oil, and sugar were distributed to 1,200 strug- gling families in Songkla and its surrounding area in southern Thailand. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 143 2. Activities of AFAD in the Pandemic Period (2020-2021) Humanitarian Aid Provided in 2020: ALBANIA | After the earthquake in Albania (November 26, 2019), 300 tents were sent by trucks on 08.01.2020 via the Response Depart- ment. The total cost of the aid was 1,050,000 TL/US$ 177,966. DJIBOUTI | Our Presidency delivered the following humanitarian aid supplies to Djibouti via the Embassy in February 2020. The total cost of the aid was 202,444 TL. List of Humanitarian Aid Supplies Sent to Djibouti I.N. Type of Item Amount 1 Water Drain Motor (3 inches) 6 Pieces 2 Water Drain Hose (100 metres) 8 Pieces 3 Water Suction Hose (10 meters) 8 Pieces 4 Battery 6 Pieces 5 Chlorine Tablet (7 kg) 4 Parcels 6 Tent (Size / 205x205x2.20) 420 Pieces Moreover, on April 21, Djibouti experienced widespread flooding due to heavy rainfall. According to reports, approximately 110 thousand people were affected by the flood, and eight people, including three children, lost their lives as a result. 140 food parcels and 140 hygiene packages were sent to Djibouti to assist those in need. These activities cost a total of 39,595.80 TL. The total expenditures amount to 242,039 TL/US$37,179. ETHIOPIA | In Ethiopia, which is the second-largest refugee-host- ing country in Africa with a population of approximately 100 mil- lion people and 900,000 refugees, approximately 10 million peo- ple require urgent humanitarian assistance due to causes such as famine and civil war. Notably, the unsanitary water and the lack of a regular provision of water, sanitation, and hygiene services threat- en the health of the region’s inhabitants. 144 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY In this context, 280 hygiene packages were sent by a Turkish Airlines aircraft to Ethiopia in 2020 to assist those in need. A total of 25,447.60 TL/US$3,908 was spent on this initiative. BANGLADESH | Expenditures Made for Bangladesh in 2020 Bangladesh 2020 Bamboo Shelters 348.921 Expenses for Hospital Operations, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Supplies 924.794 Food Distribution Expenses 151.244 Non-Food Aid Distribution Expenses 203.458 Other Construction Works (Masjid, Shadirvan, Toilet, Bathroom, Playgrounds, Women’s Area) 38.717 Transfer of Funds for Rohingya Muslims for the TİKA Project (Clinical Construction, Friendship Market Construction, School Construction, Vocational Training, Clinical Operation Expenses, Strengthening Health and Education Infrastructure) 1.500.000 Transportation Expenses 70.954 Accommodation and Food 140.198 Miscellaneous Expenses (Vehicle Fuel, Flight Tickets, Consumables) 12.489 TOTAL US$ 3,390,775 YEMEN | In order to help the people in need of humanitarian aid due to the ongoing war environment in Yemen, 6,000 food parcels were distributed before the Eid al-Fitr. A total of 1,250,000 TL/US$192,000 was spent on this initiative. IRAQ | A total of 574,659 TL/US$100,000 was transferred to Turkish Red Crescent accounts in order to carry out the “Martyr Musa ÖZA- LKAN Cultural Centre” project to be established in Tal Afar, Iraq, in accordance with the will left by Master Sergeant Musa ÖZALKAN, who was martyred in the conflict against the elements of the terrorist organisation in Syria within the scope of Operation Olive Branch. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 145 UZBEKISTAN | Due to the water leak from the stake walls of the Sardoba Dam in the Sirdarya region, 150 kilometres from the city of Tashkent in Uzbekistan, the village of Qurghonteppa was submerged, and 11,598 people were evacuated from three surrounding villages. Due to the dam accident, financial aid of 205,665 TL/US$30,000 was delivered. FIJI | Fiji was affected by Hurricane Harold, which occurred on April 8, 2020. In response to Fiji’s request for assistance, our nation pro- vided 68,555 TL/US$10,000 in financial aid to the nation, which was affected by Hurricane Harold. PHILIPPINES | Due to the 6.3-6.6 magnitude earthquakes that struck the central and southern regions of Mindanao Island on October 16, 21 and 31, 2019 (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Min- danao-BARMM and Davao Region, hometown of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte of the Philippines), 21 people were killed, 432 were in- jured, and 146,745 were affected by the disaster (35,661 families). In this context, the country received 212,187 TL/US$30,000 in financial aid after the earthquake. SERBIA | Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 200,000 surgical masks were provided to Serbia. (100,000 surgical masks were donated by the Ministry of Health.) A total of 70,000 TL/US$10,000 was spent on this initiative. AFGHANISTAN | The Turkish Red Crescent Afghanistan Delegation Office has re-evaluated the needs resulting from natural disasters and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Afghanistan. The Food Aid Project, consisting of 8,000 food parcels with a total budget of 3,250,000 TL, was proposed, and it was requested that the amount of 3,250,000 TL be transferred to the accounts of the Turkish Red Crescent in order to provide funding for the project. In this context, a total of 3,250,000 TL/US$446,448 was transferred to Turkish Red Crescent accounts as part of the “COVID-19 Food Aid Project” jointly carried out with the Turkish Red Crescent in Afghanistan. LEBANON | After the explosion in Lebanon, 750 food packages were distributed. In addition, funds were transferred to TIKA accounts to 146 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY meet Sayda Türk Hospital’s software requirements. US$409,000 were spent, including the operational costs. CHAD | A total of US$40,000 in financial aid was provided after the flood disaster. NIGER | A total of US$40,000 in financial aid was provided after the flood disaster. HONDURAS | A total of US$20,000 in financial aid was provided after the hurricane. GUATEMALA | A total of US$20,000 in financial aid was provided after the hurricane disaster. PANAMA | A total of US$40,000 in financial aid was provided after the hurricane. MOZAMBIQUE | A total of US$40,000 in financial aid was provided for the humanitarian needs that emerged after the terrorist attacks. PALESTINE | 26,000 tonnes of flour procured by the Turkish Grain Board (TMO), within the scope of the Presidential Decision dated 06.11.2019 and numbered 2019/1745, was delivered to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), to be distributed in cooperation with our Presidency and the UNRWA in order to be sent to Palestine as part of the response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. 1,200 tonnes of chickpeas procured by the TMO, within the scope of the Presidential Decision dated 06.11.2019 and numbered 2019/1745, were delivered to UNRWA for distribution in cooperation with our Presidency and the UNRWA in order to be sent to Palestine within the scope of the response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. In 2020, a total of US$4,683,276 in humanitarian aid was provided to 19 countries this year. Humanitarian Aid Provided in 2021: MADAGASCAR | It was reported that as of January 2021, there was an increase in COVID-19 cases throughout Madagascar, the second wave of the pandemic was also experienced, there were infrastruc- TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 147 ture problems such as insufficient capacity and water cuts in hospi- tals, and drought and food insufficiency in the south of the country. A total of US$40,000 was sent to the country in question. Due to the continued lack of food and the growing humanitarian needs in the re- gion, our country was once again asked for assistance, and on August 17, 2021, an additional US$20,000 was sent to the country. The total amount of aid provided by our Presidency to Madagascar in 2021 is US$60,000. LEBANON | During the meeting between our Ambassador in Beirut with the Prime Minister of Lebanon on January 29, he requested food aid from our country twice to reduce the current tension in the dif- ficult situation of the people in Tripoli. These two aid packages to- talled US$80,000. In addition, US$50,000 was provided to Lebanon to help with people’s needs, such as food, hygiene, and medicine, dur- ing the deepening and ongoing economic crisis in Lebanon. A total of US$50,000 was sent. In addition, the deepening economic and fi- nancial crisis in Lebanon caused more than half of the people to fall below the poverty threshold and led to difficulties in the supply of basic needs such as food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel in the country. In this context, a donation of US$100,000 was delivered to the country to help meet the country’s humanitarian requirements. A total of US$230,000 was given. ETHIOPIA | Since the humanitarian crisis progressed to the point where 4.5 million people in the region required immediate food aid as a result of the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region, Ethiopian gov- ernment officials stated that hundreds of thousands of people would starve to death if aid were not provided immediately, and they asked for support from our country. On February 26, 2021, US$40,000 was sent to the said country. Due to the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region, US$40,000 was transferred to the Tigray Embassy accounts on October 8, 2021, at the request of the World Health Organisation, for reasons such as the complete cessation of health services and the occurrence of out- breaks such as measles, cholera, and malaria. FİJİ | The Republic of Fiji was hit by Cyclone Yasa on December 17, 2020, and the severe floods caused by the cyclone devastated all coasts 148 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY and low-lying areas, affecting 24,000 people. A total of US$10,000 was sent to the mentioned country. MOZAMBIQUE | After the Cyclone Eloise that started on January 23, 2021, in Mozambique, six people died, 12 people were injured, and 176,000 people were affected. A total of US$20,000 was sent to the country in question. For the humanitarian aid needs that arose due to the terrorist attacks, US$40,000 in cash was supplied. A total of US$60,000 was sent to the mentioned country. PALESTINE | For the shipment of 26,000 tons of flour, which started in 2020 and ended in 2021, 12,638,907.22 TL (US$1,690,442) was paid in 2021. Work on a shipment of 26,000 tons of flour to Palestine, which would be supplied to Palestinian refugees through UNRWA, began in 2021, and the first batch of 3,465 tons is set to arrive at Ashdod Port on Oc- tober 16, 2021. The remaining 3,372 tons of the 4,572 chickpeas, of which shipment began in 2020 and completed according to the United Nations’ UNR- WA calendar, were sent in 2021. Within the scope of the agreement signed with UNRWA on March 13, 2019, as of September 29, 2021, the sum transferred to UNRWA ac- counts in 2021 was US$106,384, in compliance with the provision that ‘60% of the donations collected through Palestinian campaign accounts will be transferred to UNRWA accounts.’ In 2021, 60% of the donations collected will continue to be transferred to UNRWA ac- counts. In addition, US$50,000 was supplied at the invitation of the Organi- sation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to meet the needs of the hospitals in Palestine. In 2021, the shipment of 20,195 tonnes of flour to Palestine, constitut- ing the first eight shipments of a total of 26,000 tonnes of flour, was completed. Additionally, a total of 8,840,666.91 TL (US$645,714,206) was paid for the first four shipments of 10,635 tonnes of flour. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 149 MONGOLIA | Mongolia requested aid from our country to improve the situation of its people. A total of US$40,000 was sent to the men- tioned country. YEMEN | Yemen has requested aid from our country to help them deal with their difficult situation and alleviate current tensions. A to- tal of US$393,000 was sent to the specified country. SOUTH SUDAN | South Sudan asked for aid from our country to im- prove the country’s current difficult situation due to the flood. The country in question received a total of US$40,000. BANGLADESH | The Rohingya Muslims who fled Myanmar’s perse- cution and sought asylum in Bangladesh continue to receive shelter, health, food, and hygiene aid. In this regard, a total of US$3,212,723 was sent in 2021. GUATEMALA | Guatemala also requested aid from our country in or- der to ease the existing tensions in the people’s difficult circumstanc- es. A total of US$20,000 was sent to the country. CROATIA | In response to the aid request, search and rescue person- nel, 200 container houses, 480 tents, and 272 heaters were supplied to Croatia in order to mitigate the impact of disasters and emergen- cies. For these efforts, US$2,490,475 was spent. PANAMA | Our Presidency responded to the call for aid made to im- prove the challenging situations of the people in Panama following the disasters by providing US$40,000 in cash. HONDURAS | In order to improve the living conditions of the people in Honduras, who were severely affected by the tensions, monetary aid of US$20,000 was provided. TAJIKISTAN | Requested aid from our country in order to ease the existing tensions around the people’s difficult situation in Tajikistan as a result of the flood. A total of US$20,000 was sent to the affected country. SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES | Requested aid from our country in order to ease the current tensions in the difficult situation of the people in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as a result of the 150 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY volcanic eruption. A total of US$20,000 was sent to the affected coun- try. EQUATORIAL GUINEA | According to reports, a series of severe ex- plosions occurred in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, causing 98 deaths and 615 injuries. As a result, our Presidency was informed that they had requested aid from our country. A total of US$40,000 was sent to the relevant Turkish Embassy in order to provide the necessary human- itarian aid supplies. HAITI | Following the earthquake in Haiti, an A400 transport aircraft transported humanitarian aid supplies to the region, including 80 tents, 222 food packages, 270 hygiene kits, and a search and rescue team. The total cost of the operation is US$90,000. LAOS | Although the number of people infected with the virus in Laos has stayed at a limited level to date, it is noted that the insufficiency of the country’s health infrastructure and the increase in cases in neigh- bouring countries have resulted in a loss of contact with the outside world and the adverse effects of the epidemic on the economy have resulted in an increase in poverty throughout the country. In order to address the needs of the country in question, US$40,000 was sent. IRAQ | After hundreds of thousands of people were displaced from the Mosul/Tal Afar region of Iraq; they were forced to live as immi- grants; the Yahyava Camp near Kirkuk, one of the camps in Iraq, was closed by the Iraqi government; and 550 families were forced to re- turn to their regions, as 384 of them returned to the town of Efgenli (İyaziyye) and many families were forced to live in tents as a result of the destruction in their region, US$40,000 were transferred to the account of our Embassy in Baghdad in order to provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced families. SOMALIA | In a letter sent to our Presidency by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was reported that during meetings with Somali Prime Min- ister Mohamed Hussein Roble and President Ahmed Madobe of Ju- baland State of Somalia, aid was requested due to the severe drought in the Jubaland region of Somalia and the increase in deaths caused by the drought. US$80,000 was sent in order to meet the needs of the country in question. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 151 AFGHANISTAN | Due to the ongoing internal disturbance in Afghan- istan and the subsequent financial difficulties, 3,402 food boxes were distributed to families in humanitarian need around the country, and 50 families in the city of Kabul received a weekly bread delivery. 1,000 food boxes were distributed in the Mussahi District of Kabul Province, 1,000 in the Bagrami District of Kabul Province, 402 in the centre re- gion of Kabul, and 1,000 in Paktia Province. A total of US$110,000 was spent on these efforts. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA | On November 8, 2021, during the flood disaster, two Turkish workers fell into the Bosnian river. The search and rescue teams in Bosnia and Herzegovina discovered the lifeless body of one of the workers on November 10, 2021. On No- vember 12, 2021, our search and rescue teams arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina to assist with search and rescue operations for our oth- er fellow citizens. Our AFAD teams discovered the dead body of our missing citizen on November 27, 2021. These activities cost a total of US$13,740.17. SYRIA | A total of 23,907,347.27 TL (US$2,754,207.49) was transferred to the Hatay Provincial Disaster and Emergency Directorate for use in briquette houses, infrastructure, and ground works in Syria’s Idlib De-escalation Area (IGAB). Humanitarian Aid Delivered in 2022; PALESTINE | In 2022, 8,021,896.38 TL was paid for 9,650 tons of 26.000 tons of flour shipment, which began in 2021 and ended in 2022. AFGHANISTAN | The 1st Kindness Train, which was created with the help of 11 NGOs and carried 747.7 tons of humanitarian aid materials such as flour, food, hygiene items, clothing, and blankets, departed on January 27, 2002 and arrived in the customs area at Torgundi district in Herat Province of Afghanistan on February 09, 2022. The 2nd Kindness Train left on February 11, 2022, due to the magni- tude of the region’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. With the 2nd Kind- ness Train, 920.8 tons of humanitarian aid materials, including flour, food, hygiene, clothing, and blankets, were sent with the help of 16 NGOs, under the coordination of AFAD. 152 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY There were 300 blankets and 300 food parcels distributed. This activ- ity cost US$15,000. IRAQ | Following the flood disaster in Erbil on December 17, 2021, US$40,000 in cash aid was sent to the country. BRAZIL | Due to the need for humanitarian aid following the flood caused by heavy rains in the state of Bahia in north-eastern Brazil, US $40,000 in cash aid was sent to the country. BANGLADESH | A total of US $107,091 was spent on the field hospital, shelter expenses, and humanitarian aid activities. 3. Turkish Red Crescent’s Activities during Pandemic (2020- 2021) Country Aid Amount Delivered (TL) Syria 105.322.297 India 11.723.803 Sudan 10.855.482 Afghanistan 6.162.823 Pakistan 5.487.215 Somali 4.227.006 Senegal 3.378.312 Italy 3.302.513 Kyrgyzstan 3.245.720 Cyprus 3.158.108 Serbia 3.070.997 Georgia 3.066.600 Uganda 3.046.168 Dagestan 3.038.507 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.025.363 Northern Macedonia 2.942.558 TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 153 Bangladesh 2.846.119 United Kingdom 2.839.613 Kosovo 2.802.030 Ethiopia 2.801.365 Guinea-Bissau 2.739.187 Mali 2.739.187 Moldova 2.734.413 Albania 2.715.623 Palestine 2.702.763 Cambodia 2.696.799 Bulgaria 2.652.497 During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Turkish Red Crescent provided aid totalling 661,499,494 TL. International aid activities accounted for 140,353,620 TL of this total. 4. Presidency of Religious Affairs’ Activities during Pandemic Project Project Description Beneficiary Countries Project Result Project Impact Emergency Meeting on Jerusalem Under the instructions of our President, an "Emergen- cy Meeting on Jerusalem" was held online with the Ministers, Presidents and Chief Muftis of Religious Affairs from 60 different countries by the Presidency of Religious Affairs. 60 Islamic Countries The brutal, deliberate, and provocative attacks of terrorist Israeli forces against our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Je- rusalem were brought up at the mentioned meeting, and consultations were held on what we can do about it. The international public was made aware of our country's and our Presidency's firm stance on Jerusalem. 154 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY International Religious Affairs Ministers/ Presidents/ Chief Muftis Consultation Meeting An online meeting was held by the Presidency of Religious Affairs to which ministers and chief muftis of Religious Affairs of 63 member and observer states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. were invited. 46 guests from 38 countries, including the ministers, chief muftis of Religious Affairs and religious leaders of member and observer states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, participated. President of Religious Af- fairs Ali Erbaş made an open- ing speech in the meeting, addressing the problems arising about Jerusalem, which is a shared issue of the Islamic World. It was aimed to discuss issues such as Jerusalem/ Palestine cause, Islamophobia, anti-Islam, anti-Muslim sentiments, attacks on our Islamic and religious values, systematic anti-Islam and anti-Muslim rhetoric etc., which are the most important actual issues of the Islam World. Non- Governmental Organisations Palestine Consultation Meeting A meeting was held by the Presidency of Religious Affairs in which 62 participants from 52 Institutions/ Foundations/ Associations participated. 52 different countries In the meet- ing, President of Religious Affairs Prof. Ali Erbaş high- lighted that “Jerusalem will remain the capital of Pal- estine forever, and our Pal- estine cause will strengthen through co- operation and coordination.” After the meeting, an evaluation report was prepared, consisting of Turkish and Arabic articles published in the local and foreign press. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 155 2th Jerusalem Consultation Meeting Academics, experts and journalists attended the meeting organised in Ankara with the participation of President of Religious Affairs Prof. Ali Erbaş. Palestine- Republic of Türkiye In the meet- ing, President of Religious Affairs Prof. Ali Erbaş indicated the devastation of Jerusalem’s quality as the home of peace by the Zionist occupying force and said, “We always have to talk about Darüs- selam. The reasons and processes why Darüsselam was made into Darülharp.” Afghanistan Consultation Meeting Presidency of Religious Affairs held a consultation meeting on Afghanistan due to the recent developments in Afghanistan to discuss our tasks and responsibilities for our Afghan brothers and sisters with the participation of academics, journalists, writers, and experts specialised in Afghanistan. Afghanistan 156 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 8th Meeting of Presidents of Religious Affairs of the Balkan States 8th of these regular meetings, the first of which was held in 2007, was organised, and the religious developments in the region were analysed. A total of 22 represent- atives from religious ad- ministrations attended the meeting from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Balkan states. Regional and religious issues concerning participatory countries were discussed. Family Seminars Abroad Seminars were held in different EU countries (Switzerland, Belgium, Swe- den) under the titles of “Family and its Impor- tance,” “Child Education”, and “Com- munication in Family.” Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden Programmes were or- ganised in Sweden/ Stockholm on February 15-16, 2020; in Belgium/Brus- sels region on March 5-10, 2020 and in Switzerland/ Bern region on March 7-8. Family Seminars Abroad “Family Sem- inars Abroad” are held to inform our citizens abroad on the family correctly in terms of religion based on recommen- dations and advice of our religion and to contribute to the preser- vation and strengthening of the family structure. USA, EU States Basically, six topics are elaborated in seminars (Marriage and Family Life, Wedding and its responsi- bilities, Being a Parent and Child Educa- tion, Privacy Consciousness in the Family, Commu- nication in the Family, Principles of Sustaining the Marriage) and the questions asked by our citizens are answered. 68 online seminars were held in 2021 in 15 coun- tries (The US, Germany, Aus- tralia, Austria, Belgium, Den- mark, France, the Nether- lands, Canada, Cyprus, the UK, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Norway), and approximately 32 thousand people partici- pated in these seminars. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 157 Family Seminars Abroad In 2022, within the scope of online “Family Seminars Abroad,” the “Reconciliation Discipline” programme about topics such as “Faith in Allah,” “Worship,” “Family Life,” and “Commercial and Social Relations” is held each month for 18 countries. USA, EU countries, Balkan states Islamophobia Report Recently an- ti-Islamic and anti-Muslim attitudes and behaviours, hatred and animosity towards Islam have increased rapidly. An annual report on Islamo- phobia events occurring in the world was prepared. The report was prepared based on the information sent from our Presidency’s foreign rep- resentatives, news stories on the news sites and open sources. Türkiye Islamophobia Report was prepared for 2019-2020. The Report includes a total of 698 cases consisting of 290 cases in 29 countries in 2019 and 408 cases in 23 countries in 2020. 158 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY 13th International Alimcan el-Barudi Readings Conference on "Challenges in Hadith Interpretation: Diverse Approaches to Islamic Theology" On behalf of our Presiden- cy, Vice Pres- ident of Reli- gious Affairs Assoc. Prof. Selim Argun participated in the online con- ference held in Moscow by the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation and the Coun- cil of Muftis. Russian Federation States - Türkiye Conference on "Religion in a Changing World: The Role of Education in Young People’s Upbringing" On behalf of our Presiden- cy, Vice Pres- ident of Reli- gious Affairs Assoc. Prof. Selim Argun participated in the online con- ference held in Moscow by the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation and the Coun- cil of Muftis. Russian Federation States - Türkiye TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 159 The project on the "Islamic approach to pandemic diseases" It was forwarded to the relevant department for printing. Türkiye The public was briefed on the Islamic approach to pandemic diseases. The public was given access to authentic religious information on the subject at hand. The project on "Ensuring calendar unity for prayer times" Within the scope of the project, a joint declaration was issued to ensure calendar unity for prayer times. Countries in the Americas, Europe, and the Arab Peninsula Positive steps were taken to ensure calen- dar unity for prayer times. The imple- mentation of the decisions reached during the meeting is monitored. The project on "Identification of the most pressing challenges encountered by Muslims who have converted to Islam in various countries" It was attempted to find solutions to these challenges by identifying the most pressing challenges encountered by Muslims who have converted to Islam in various countries. Countries in the Americas, Europe, and the Arab Peninsula It was sought to find solution recommen- dations to the challenges, and the experi- ences of these individuals were heard directly from them. In various countries around the world, the most pressing challenges encountered by Muslims who have converted to Islam, our supreme faith, were identified, and a final declaration was issued. 160 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY Collaboration projects with international organisations in fatwa studies Projects are being implemented to review the publications, opinions, decisions, and fatwas of fiqh and fatwa assemblies across the world before issuing a fatwa on current fiqh issues, as well as to develop cooperation opportunities by hosting the representa- tives of fiqh and fatwa assemblies in our country. Countries in the Americas, Europe, and the Arab Peninsula Steps were taken to im- prove relations with fiqh and fatwa assem- blies across the world. Concrete steps were taken to ascertain a shared viewpoint while issuing a fatwa. The meeting on “The Problems of the Modern World: Calls for Hate, Terrorism, Extremism, Islamophobia and Armenia's Aggression against Azerbaijan” President of Religious Affairs Prof. Ali Erbaş attended and gave a speech at the online conference hosted by the Religious Administration of Caucasian Muslims. Caucasian States - Türkiye TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 161 "The Role of Religious Organisations in Maintaining Spiritual Unity and Peace" President of Religious Affairs Prof. Ali Erbaş participated in the interna- tional online conference organised on the occasion of the 30th anni- versary of the establishment of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan - Türkiye “The Culture of Encounter: Religious Ethics in the Era of the Pandemic” On behalf of our Presi- dency, Vice President of Religious Affairs Assoc. Prof. Selim Ar- gun participat- ed in the 16th International Forum held by the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation. Russian Federation States - Türkiye 162 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY Publication of Khutbahs in Foreign Languages The Khutbah texts, prepared to be recited every Friday in our mosques, are translated into Arabic, German, French, English, Italian, and Russian and published on the website of the Presidency of Religious Affairs. Geographies where the mentioned languages are spoken Delivering the Friday Khutbahs, which are prepared every week and have a significant impact on our society, to those who speak the languages listed above, as well as raising awareness about the Friday Khutbas. Organising the International Mawlid al-Nabi Symposium The International Mawlid al-Nabi Symposium is held online on the occasion of Mawlid al-Nabi Week, which the Presidency celebrates yearly with a different theme. In 2020, the symposium was themed "Our Prophet Muhammad (saw) and Child," and in 2021, "Our Prophet and Society of Faithfulness." Countries where Arabic, English and Turkish Languages are Spoken The sympo- sium held in 2020 under the theme "Our Prophet Mu- hammad (saw) and Child" was attended by 46 academics from Türkiye and abroad, and 42 papers were pre- sented. The symposium conducted in 2021 with the theme "Our Prophet and Society of Faithfulness" was attended by 31 aca- demics from Türkiye and abroad, and 27 papers were submitted. The papers pre- sented at the symposiums are compiled and published as a book. With the slogan "From commem- orating to understanding Our Prophet Muhammad (saw)", better comprehend and explain him to all segments of society, keep his love alive, and use pro- phetic refer- ences to find solutions to contemporary challenges. TÜRKİYE’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC | 163 Family Education during the Pandemic “Family Education Project during the Pandemic” was implemented to guarantee that families could get through this period healthily, and the values that sustain the family were maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the whole world. All segments of the society The prolonged stay at home caused by the pandemic helped preserve the family values during the period when distant education became mandatory owing to the interruption of face-to-face schooling. 7,532,638 people were reached. “The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women” Events In 81 provinces, online “Violence is Incompatible with Human Dignity” conferences were held on the social media accounts of our mufti offices for the public. All segments of the society In 81 provinces, online “Violence is Incompatible with Human Dignity” conferences were held on the social media accounts of our mufti offices for the public. 171,872 citizens attended. C O N C L U S I O N Based on the phenomenon of interest, the Western-centred internati- onal relations literature explains the foreign policy activities of states within the international system. In this context, the notions of foreign aid and humanitarian diplomacy, which entered the Western-cent- red international relations literature after 1945, indicate that gover- nments assist countries in need by pursuing particular interests. The Republic of Türkiye has been building value-centred international re- lations since 2003 under the leadership of our President, Recep Tay- yip Erdoğan. As stressed by our President in his work, the Republic of Türkiye stands with the oppressed from Kabul to Chile in order to realise the motto “A Fairer World is Possible,” and based on Türkiye’s humanitarian diplomacy, it provides the necessary aid to the needy in four continents around the world. Türkiye’s humanitarian diplomacy especially takes its core from Anatolian traditions and customs because cooperation is an essential part of Turkish culture. So much so that aids in society play a signifi- cant part in fostering social cohesiveness and eradicating bias, if any. Aids to other societies and states also result in establishing friends- CONCLUSION | 165 166 | TÜRKİYE’S FRIENDLY HAND: HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY hip bridges between recipient and donor countries. It is evident that foreign aid incorporates a social formation process for states, as well. As is evident from the examples provided in detail in the preceding paragraphs, even the aid-providing actor’s attitude to work shapes the recipient audience’s perception of the donor country. This image is conceptualised as nation branding in international relations. The foreign aid of the Republic of Türkiye is delivered to the whole wor- ld, primarily through TIKA, AFAD, the Turkish Red Crescent, and the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation, and the positive image of the Republic of Türkiye as the “most generous” donor country in the international system is reinforced. Beyond being a state noted for its generosity, the Republic of Türki- ye has become a brand in foreign aid. Undoubtedly, the aid provided contributed to Türkiye’s multi-faceted diplomacy and the develop- ment of its bilateral ties. These aids brand Türkiye as a friendly and brotherly country, boost Türkiye’s friends and deepen the ties that have existed with many countries since the past. As Rumi said, “There is hope after despair and many suns after dark- ness.” With this motivation, the Republic of Türkiye continues its mission of being the leading country of the ummah and the internati- onal system, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Er- doğan, as the sun rising after the darkness, as mentioned earlier, in an era characterised by regional conflicts, pandemics, and widespread poverty and hunger. Türkiye’s Friendly Hand: Humanitarian Diplomacy