Partners in Influence: The Synergic Role of Civil Society Organizations in Shaping Turkish Foreign Policy in Africa

Abstract

In a world where international relations are constantly evolving, civil society organizations (CSOs) have emerged as vibrant actors shaping Turkish foreign policy, particularly within Africa’s diverse and dynamic landscapes. These organizations serve as crucial partners, bridging cultural divides and fostering cooperation between Türkiye and various African nations. By promoting synergy and intercultural understanding, CSOs not only influence policy decisions but also contribute to a deeper appreciation of the continent’s complex social and cultural fabric. This study explores the pivotal role of Turkish Civil Society Organizations (TCSOs) in shaping Türkiye’s foreign policy in Africa. As Türkiye’s presence and influence expand across the continent, TCSOs have become key collaborators, facilitating dialogue, partnership, and mutual understanding between Türkiye and African states. Employing a qualitative methodology, comprising semi-structured interviews, website observations, and a comprehensive descriptive analysis of online materials and relevant literature, this article thematically examines the synergistic relationship between Turkish diplomatic efforts and the grassroots initiatives of civil society organizations. The findings underscore the importance of inclusive policymaking that integrates diverse perspectives, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of Türkiye’s foreign engagements in Africa and fostering sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships.

Keywords

• Türkiye
• Africa
• Civil Society
• Foreign Policy
• Complementary Functions

Etki Ortakları: Afrika’da Türk Diş Politikasının Şekillenmesinde Sivil Toplum Kuruluşlarının Sinerjik Rolü

Abstract

Uluslararası ilişkilerin sürekli değişim gösterdiği bir dünyada, sivil toplum kuruluşları (STK’lar), özellikle Afrika’nın çeşitli ve dinamik coğrafyasında, Türk dış politikasını şekillendiren canlı aktörler olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Bu kuruluşlar, kültürel uçurumları kapatan ve Türkiye ile çeşitli Afrika ülkeleri arasında iş birliğini teşvik eden önemli ortaklar olarak hizmet vermektedir. Sinerji ve kültürler arası anlayışı teşvik ederek, STK’lar yalnızca politika kararlarını etkilemekle kalmayıp aynı zamanda kıtanın karmaşık sosyal ve kültürel dokusuna dair daha derin bir anlayışın gelişmesine de katkıda bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışma, Türk Sivil Toplum Kuruluşlarının (TSTK’lar) Türkiye’nin Afrika’daki dış politikasını şekillendirmedeki kritik rolünü incelemektedir. Türkiye’nin kıtadaki varlığı ve etkisi giderek artarken, TSTK’lar Türkiye ile Afrika devletleri arasında diyalog, ortaklık ve karşılıklı anlayışın geliştirilmesinde kilit iş birlikçileri hâline gelmiştir. Yarı yapılandırılmış mülakatlar, web sitesi gözlemleri ve çevrim içi materyaller ile ilgili literatürün kapsamlı betimleyici bir analizini içeren nitel bir yöntem benimseyen bu makale, Türk diplomatik çabaları ile sivil toplum kuruluşlarının taban inisiyatifleri arasındaki etkileşimsel ilişkiyi tematik olarak incelemektedir. Bulgular, farklı bakış açılarını bütünleştiren kapsayıcı bir politika yapım sürecinin önemini vurgulamakta; bu sayede Türkiye’nin Afrika’daki dış politika faaliyetlerinin etkinliğinin artırılabileceği ve sürdürülebilir, karşılıklı fayda sağlayan ortaklıkların güçlendirilebileceği sonucuna ulaşılmaktadır.

Keywords

• Türkiye
• Afrika
• Sivil Toplum
• Dış Politika
• Tamamlayıcı Fonksiyonlar

References

1. Abubakar, Y. W., & Islam, M. N. (2025). Diaspora civil society: The nexus of civil society, soft power, and foreign policy. Journal of Applied And Theoretical Social Sciences, 7(4), 362-378. https://doi.org/10.37241/jatss.2025.135
2. Akıllı, E. (2018). Yunus Emre Institute as a tool for cultural diplomacy and nation branding. Turkish Studies, 13(22), 19-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.14124
3. Akıllı, E., & Çelenk, B. (2019). TİKA’s soft power: Nation branding in Turkish foreign policy. Insight Turkey, 21(3), 141-142. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26776107.
4. Akyüz, A. A., & Demir, Y. A. (2016). The role of a civil society organization in developing the domestic organic market in Turkey. İstanbul Üniversitesi Siyasal Bilgiler Fakültesi Dergisi, (54), 43-61. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/iusiyasal/issue/24993/263783
5. Aykaç, A. (2010). Global challenges to the legal regulation of the state-civil society relationship. Ege Academic Review, 10(3), 829-843. https://izlik.org/JA62UL97CR
6. Baritci, F., & Duman, M. (2025). An Assessment of Türkiye’s public diplomacy activities after the Johnson Letter: Are cultural relations an investment? Ege Academic Review, 25(1), 89-98. https://doi.org/10.21121/eab.20250106
7. Bayar, M., & Arpa, E. (2020). South–south cooperation in Africa: The Niger-Turkey case. Journal of Global South Studies, 37(1), 31–56. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48660343
8. Bayram, M. (2020). Turkey and Africa in the context of South-South cooperation. Current Research in Social Sciences, 6(1), 39-51. https://doi.org/10.30613/curesosc.594612

9. Baytekin, E. (2007, Aralık 27). Afrika Benin’de Kurban Kampanyası Tamamlandı. IGMG: https://www.igmg.org/tr/afrika-beninaede-kurban-kampanyasae%c2%b1-tamamlandae%c2%b1/
10. Boztaş, A., & Çinar, H. Y. (2019). Illegal fishery in Africa and the recommendations in the context of Turkey-Africa relations. Uluslararası Politik Araştırmalar Dergisi, 5(2), 92-109. https://doi.org/10.25272/j.2149-8539.2019.5.2.03
11. Cengiz, M. (2025). Deniz Feneri Hakkında. Deniz Feneri: https://www.denizfeneri.org.tr/kurumsal/
12. Çarıkçı, İ., & Acar, İ. (2012). Sivil Toplum Kuruluşlarında stratejik yönetim ve yeni yönelimler, yeni projeksiyonlar. İstanbul Üniversitesi Siyasal Bilgiler Fakültesi Dergisi, (26), 17-25. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/iusiyasal/issue/615/6221
13. Çelik, M. (2023). Flexibility and advantages of the Turkish Maarif Foundation in the global education market due to its hybrid structure. ADAM AKADEMİ Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 13(1), 129-137. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/3039879.
14. Çelik, N., & İşeri, E. (2016). Islamically oriented humanitarian NGOs in Turkey: AKP foreign policy parallelism. Turkish Studies, 17(3), 429–448. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683849.2016.1204917
15. Daban, C. (2021). 21. Yüzyilda Türkiye’nin Afrika ülkeleri ile siyasi ve diplomatik ilişkileri. Abant Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 21(3), 925-944. https://doi.org/10.11616/asbi.961224
16. Dahir, A. (2021). The Turkey-Africa bromance: Key drivers, agency, and prospects. Insight Turkey, 23(4), 27–38. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48673733
17. Demircioğlu, F. (2024). Digital diplomacy and its impacts on Uzbekistan’s international relations. İmgelem, Özbekistan Özel Sayısı, 171-190. https://doi.org/10.53791/imgelem.1506938
18. Diptaş, S., Çetinkaya, N., Gürbüz, A., Benli, H. & Yaman, M. M. (2020). International Humanitarian Aid Annual Report (2019). İstanbul: Republic of Turkey Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
19. Donelli, F. (2018). The Ankara Consensus: The Significance of Turkey’s Engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa. Global Change, Peace & Security, 30(1), 57-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/14781158.2018.1438384
20. Donelli, F., & Cannon, B. J. (2025). Beyond national boundaries: Unpacking Türkiye’s role in the Sahel and beyond through geopolitical imagination. Geopolitics, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/14650045.2025.2456024
21. Eksik, S. A. (2016). AFAD 51 ülkede mazlumlara umut oldu. Anadolu Agency: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/turkiye/afad-51-ulkede-mazlumlara-umut-oldu/530113
22. Eren, A. (2025). Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities. YTB: https://ytb.gov.tr/en/corporate/presidency-for-turks-abroad-and-related-communities
23. Eren, E. (2010). Education policies as a tool of soft power: Alliance Française and Yunus Emre Institute. Current Research in Social Sciences, 6(2), 125–134. https://doi.org/10.30613/curesosc.741167.
24. Eyrice Tepeciklioğlu, E., & Onur Tepeciklioğlu, A. (2024). Turkey-Africa voting cohesion in the UN General Assembly. Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2024.2435136
25. Eyrice Tepeciklioğlu, E., Tepeciklioğlu, A. O., & Aydoğan Ünal, B. (2018). Türkiye’nin Sahra-Altı Afrika’da Yürüttüğü Kamu Diplomasisi Faaliyetleri. Ege Academic Review, 18(4), 605-618. https://izlik.org/JA95NY57NN
26. Gençoğlu, H. (2024). Socio-Economic Relations Between Türkiye and South Africa. Afro Eurasian Studies, 12(2), 30-47. https://doi.org/10.33722/afes.1349584
27. Guo, X. (2020). Turkey’s international humanitarian assistance during the AKP era: Key actors, concepts, and motivations. Asian Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, 14(1), 121–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/25765949.2020.1728974
28. Güney, Y. (2024). Yeryüzü Doktorları: İyilik Sağlık. İstanbul: Yeryüzü Doktorları.
29. Haruna, A. I. (2024). Türkiye’s Foreign Relations with Regional Blocs in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of AU and ECOWAS. Insight Turkey, 26(3), 177–202. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48790777
30. Haşıl, H. (2024). An overview of Türkiye›s Africa policy: Historical background, strategic diplomacy, and prospects. Insight Turkey, 26(3), 275-282. https://dx.doi.org/10.25253/99.2024263.15
31. Haynes, J. (2022). Religious and economic soft power in Ghana-Turkey relations. Religions, 13(1030), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13111030
32. Hayratyardım. (2025). The World Reads the Qur’an. Hayratyardım: https://hayratyardim.org/en/donation/worldreadsquran
33. Hazar, N. (2023). Turkish foreign policy and the importance of Türkiye’s policy of outreach to the African continent. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs, 28(1), 11-26. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/perception/issue/78925/1326050
34. Hazar, N., & Tepeciklioğlu, E. E. (2021). Turkey-Africa relations: A Retrospective Analysis. In Elem Eyrice Tepeciklioğlu & Ali Onur Tepeciklioğlu, Turkey in Africa A New Emerging Power? (pp. 56-74). Routledge.
35. Helmut, K. A. (2017). Civil society challenged: Towards an enabling policy environment. Economics: The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal, 11 (1), https://doi.org/10.5018/economics-ejournal.ja.2017-29.
36. Helmys, N., & Irawan, Y. (2024). Civil society’s dual role in foreign policy: A comparative analysis of benefits and risks. Jurnal Hubungan Luar Negeri, 9(1), 122-138. https://doi.org/10.70836/jh.v9i1.50.
37. Hudayivakfi. (2025). Vakfi Senedi. Hudayi Vakfi: https://www.hudayivakfi.org/vakif-senedi.html
38. IGMG. (2009, Kasım 29). Nijerya Gönüllüleri İş Başında. IGMG: https://www.igmg.org/tr/nijerya-ga%C2%B6na%C2%BClla%C2%BCleri-iay-baayae%C2%B1nda/
39. Ipek, P. (2015). Ideas and change in foreign policy instruments: Soft power and the case of the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency. Foreign Policy Analysis, 11(2), 173-193. https://doi.org/10.1111/fpa.12031
40. Islamic Publishing. (2025). Islamic Publishing. Retrieved from Islamic Publishing: https://www.islamicpublishing.org/
41. İşbilir, A. C. (2021). Afrika’da faaliyet gösteren Türk STK’ların barış inşa edici kapasitesi. Africania-İnönü Üniversitesi Uluslararası Afrika Araştırmaları Dergisi, 1(1), 5-25. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/africania/issue/65507/1013787.
42. Kandemir, E., & Tuncer, C. O. (2021). Türk dış politikasında insani diplomasi bağlamında Kızılay, AFAD, İHH, Deniz Feneri ve Beşir Derneği’nin Afrika ve Asya’daki faaliyetleri. Electronic Journal of Political Science Studies (EJPSS), 12(23), 46–57.
43. Karadeniz, Y. (2022). Türkiye’nin kamu diplomasisinde TRT World’ün rolü. USBAD Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Akademi Dergisi - International Journal of Social Sciences, 4(9), 566-570. https://doi.org/10.47994/usbad.1090133.
44. Kavak, G. (2024). 25 years of Türkiye’s media initiatives in Africa. Insight Turkey, 26(3), 155–176. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48790776
45. Kavas, A. (2007). Ottoman Empire’s relations with Southern Africa”. Ankara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 48(2), 11-20. https://doi.org/10.1501/Ilhfak_0000000940.
46. Kavas, A. (2025). Türkiye’nin Afrika siyasetinde diplomatik kabiliyeti. Siyasa Belgesi-5, ANKASAM. https://www.ankasam.org/turkiyenin-afrika-siyasetinde-diplomatik-kabiliyeti/
47. Kayalar, M. (2008). Future-oriented performance profiles of government organizations: A statistical approach. Ege Academic Review, 8(2), 563-585. https://izlik.org/JA33JU72NX
48. Kim, Y. (2011). The unveiled power of NGOs: How NGOs influence states’ foreign policy behaviors (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Iowa).
49. Kim, Y. (2017). How NGOs influence US foreign aid allocations, Foreign Policy Analysis, 13(1), 112-132, https://doi.org/10.1111/fpa.12064
50. Melis, N. (2024). The Ottoman Africa and the Ottomans in Africa: An Introduction. Eurasian Studies, 21(2), 143-150. https://doi.org/10.1163/24685623-20230150
51. Minear, L. (2007). The Craft of Humanitarian Diplomacy. In L. Minear & H. Smith, Humanitarian diplomacy Practitioners and their craft. Tokyo: United Nations University. Tokyo: United Nations University Press.
52. Murphy, P. T. (2022, 09 30). Nation Branding: Beyond a Cosmetic Symbol. WIPO Magazine: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/wipo-magazine/articles/nation-branding-beyond-a-cosmetic-symbol-42841
53. Onur Bahçecik, Ş., & Turhan, Y. (2022). Mapping relations between state and humanitarian NGOs: the case of Turkey. Third World Quarterly, 43(5), 979–996. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2022.2040978
54. Orakçı, S. (2022). The Rise of Turkey in Africa. Retrieved from Aljazeera Centre for Studies: https://studies.aljazeera.net/en/analyses/rise-turkey-africa
55. Özcan, M., & Köse, M. (2024). The quest for balance: Historical background of Türkiye-Africa relations. Insight Turkey, 26(3), 77-102. https://doi.org/10.25253/99.2024263.7
56. Palabıyık, M. S. (2021). Ottoman Empire and Africa in the age of colonial expansion: Appreciating the loyalty of African Muslims, debating colonial rupture. In Turkey in Africa (pp. 38-55). Routledge.
57. Randa, E. W., Jr. (1990). The Tulunid dynasty in Egypt: Loyalty and state formation during the dissolution of the Abbasid caliphate (Order No. 9022353). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (303920712). https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/tulunid-dynasty-egypt-loyalty-state-formation/docview/303920712/se-2
58. Rudincová, K. (2014). New Player on the Scene: Turkish Engagement in Africa. In: Szymańska, D. and Środa-Murawska, S. editors, Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, (24), 197–213. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/bog-2014-0039.
59. Sfeir-Younis, A. (2023). The role of civil society in foreign policy: A new conceptual framework. Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, 5(2), 29–32. https://scholarship.shu.edu/diplo_ir/vol5/iss2/4.
60. Sila, I., & Walczak, S. (2017). Universal versus contextual effects on TQM: A triangulation study using neural networks. Production Planning & Control, 28(5), 367-386. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2017.1296598
61. Sıradağ, A. (2015). Benevolence or selfishness: Understanding the increasing role of Turkish NGOs and civil society in Africa. Insight on Africa, 7(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/0975087814554066.
62. Songür, İ. (2017, 03 12). İHH’dan Doğu Afrika ve Yemen’e Acil Yardımlar. IHH: https://ihh.org.tr/haber/ihhdan-dogu-afrika-ve-yemene-acil-yardimlar
63. Tabak, H. (2015). Broadening the Non-governmental Humanitarian Mission: The IHH and Mediation. Insight Turkey, 206. https://www.insightturkey.com/articles/broadening-the-nongovernmental-humanitarian-mission-the-ihh-and-mediation
64. Tarlanoğlu, O. (2024). Türkiye’nin Afrika politikasının kamu diplomasisi ve Sivil Toplum Kuruluşları çerçevesinde incelenmesi. Dumlupınar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 79, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.51290/dpusbe.1300317.
65. Tepecikliogu, E. E. (2017). Economic relations between Turkey and Africa: challenges and prospects. Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy (The), 8(1), 1-33. https://doi.org/10.4314/jsdlp.v8i1.2
66. Topçuoğlu, İ. (2025). İGEDER’DEN Afrika Eğitim Çalıştayı. İGEDER: https://www.igeder.org.tr/haber/igederden-afrika-egitim-calistayi
67. Tuğrul, T. (2017). Millî Görüş Mefkûresinde İslâm Birliği ve D-8 -teori ve pratik. Din ve Bilim – Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi İslami İlimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 10(2), 617-657. https://doi.org/10.18403/emakalat.317808.
68. Turhan, Y. (2023a). Turkish humanitarian assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic: Focus on Africa. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 26(3), 327-345. https://doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2023.2236512
69. Turhan, Y. (2023b). Turkey’s public diplomacy: The role of Turkish Non-Governmental Organisations. Diplomacy & Statecraft, 34(2), 325-342. https://doi.org/10.1080/09592296.2023.2213078
70. Turhan, Y., & Bahçecik, Ş. O. (2021). The agency of faith-based NGOs in Turkish humanitarian aid policy and practice. Turkish Studies, 22(1), 141-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683849.2020.1756786
71. Ünlü, S., Bilici, E., & Yaşar, L. (2023). The Balkans from the Ottomans to the present: Cultural diplomacy in the discourses of TRT’s documentary. Folklor Akademi Dergisi, 6(1), 388-402. https://doi.org/10.55666/folklor.1230187.
72. Vertin, Z. (2019). Turkey and the New Scramble for Africa: Ottoman Designs or Unfounded Fears? Brookings, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/turkey-and-the-new-scramble-for-africa-ottoman-designs-or-unfounded-fears/
73. Wara, M. A. (2015). The metamorphosis of roving-studentship (yawon almajiranci): An Islamic historical challenge for the 21st-century experience in northern Nigeria. International Journal of History and Cultural Studies (IJHCS), 1(2), 36–40. https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ijhcs/v1-i2/6.pdf.
74. Wara, Y. A., & Gül, S. K. (2025). Civil society as a reemerging instrument of foreign policy after COVID-19. Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 26(1), 179-191. https://doi.org/10.17494/ogusbd.1592400
75. Yabancı, B. (2019). Turkey’s tamed civil society: Containment and appropriation under a competitive authoritarian regime. Journal of Civil Society, 15(4), 285-306. https://doi.org/10.1080/17448689.2019.1668627
76. Yaman, K. (2022). Kamu diplomasisi ile yumuşak güç arasında: Kızılay Kaynak: Kamu Diplomasisi ile Yumuşak Güç Arasında: Kızılay. Haksozhaber: https://www.haksozhaber.net/kamu-diplomasisi-ile-yumusak-guc-arasinda-kizilay-157660h.htm
77. Yılmaz, H. K. (2025). Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Foundation: A Five-Century Oak of Mercy and Compassion. Hüdayi Vakfi: https://www.hudayivakfi.org/images/download/english.pdf
78. Yu, H. (2024). Türkiye’s multidimensional strategy for Africa: Characteristics, motivations, and prospects. BRIQ Belt and Road Initiative Quarterly, 5(4), 457–475. https://briqjournal.com/sites/default/files/yazi-ici-dosyalar/2024-09/Yu%20Haijie%20ENG.pdf.