Türkiye’s Development Assistance: Current Status and the Perspective of the 12th Development Plan

Year 2025, Volume: 12 Issue: 3, 1197 - 1219, 30.09.2025

Esat İpek , Emrah Kayabaşı

Abstract

Türkiye’s development assistance has evolved significantly, positioning the country as a key global donor. Since 1990, Türkiye has increased its aid, focusing on regions with historical, cultural, and strategic ties, such as Central Asia, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Africa. Through institutions like TİKA, the Turkish Red Crescent, and the Maarif Foundation, Türkiye provides aid in areas such as education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, and humanitarian relief. The country’s development model emphasizes cooperation, mutual benefit, and sustainability rather than traditional hegemonic aid approaches. Türkiye's assistance strategy aligns with its foreign policy goals and is shaped by national development plans, including the Twelfth Development Plan. This plan emphasizes technical cooperation, infrastructure development, energy, digitalization, and migration management. The plan also encourages increased collaboration with international organizations and NGOs, aiming for more effective aid delivery and regional cooperation, particularly in Africa. Türkiye’s development assistance prioritizes demand-driven aid while integrating economic and strategic objectives. By strengthening coordination among public, private, and civil society actors, Türkiye aims to enhance the impact and sustainability of its aid programs. This comprehensive approach not only increases Türkiye’s global influence but also contributes to international development cooperation.

Keywords

development assistance , technical aid programs , financial aid program

Ethical Statement

Ethics Committee approval was not required for this study. The authors declare that the study was conducted in accordance with research and publication ethics. The authors confirm that no part of the study was generated, either wholly or in part, using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. The authors declare that there are no financial conflicts of interest involving any institution, organization, or individual associated with this article. Additionally, there are no conflicts of interest among the authors. The authors declare that they contributed equally to all processes of the research.

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