States as “Humanitarians”: The Turkish Brand of Humanitarian Diplomacy

Year 2022, Volume: 10 Issue: 1, 153 - 178, 29.03.2022

Volkan Şeyşane , Görkem Tanrıverdi

https://doi.org/10.14782/marmarasbd.993408

Cited By: 3

Abstract

Humanitarian diplomacy refers to a distinctive form of diplomatic activity undertaken by various actors to protect human life and dignity in situations where they are under threat. Initially, the concept was more associated with humanitarian non-governmental organizations and some UN agencies. However, today, an increasing number of states adopt humanitarian diplomacy as a foreign policy instrument and portray themselves as global humanitarian actors. Over the last decade, Turkey has also emerged as one of the major actors in the field of humanitarian assistance, and humanitarianism has become a central theme in the discourse of Turkish foreign policymakers. Most notably, the Turkish government has officially placed the concept of humanitarian diplomacy in its foreign policy agenda. Therefore, this article seeks to analyze the recent emergence of Turkey as a global humanitarian actor and explore the main characteristics of the ‘Turkish brand of humanitarian diplomacy.’ For this purpose, it offers a three-pillar approach to assess the individual state practice of humanitarian diplomacy and discusses how Turkey’s general humanitarian policy resonates with the three pillars of state-led humanitarian diplomacy. It also examines its humanitarian responses to Somalia and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar as case studies. State-led humanitarian diplomacy has further deepened the politicization of humanitarianism and the standardization of the humanitarian system in the post-Cold War period. In this context, the article concludes that Turkey’s adoption of humanitarian diplomacy has contributed to these two global trends, both by associating humanitarian diplomacy with broader political issues and political goals and by helping the institutional capacity-building of the international humanitarian aid system.

Keywords

Humanitarian diplomacy, Turkish foreign policy, Somalia, the Rohingya crisis, Humanitarian aid

‘Yardımsever’ olarak Devletler: Türk Tipi İnsani Diplomasi

Abstract

İnsani diplomasi, tehdit altında oldukları durumlarda insan yaşamı ve onurunu korumak üzere çeşitli aktörler tarafından yürütülen özgün bir diplomatik faaliyet türünü ifade etmektedir. Başlangıçta, bu kavram daha ziyade insani hükümet-dışı örgütler ve bazı BM kuruluşları ile ilişkiliydi. Oysa bugün artan sayıda devlet insani diplomasiyi bir dış politika aracı olarak benimsemekte ve kendilerini küresel yardımsever aktörler olarak tanımlamaktadır. Son on yılda, Türkiye de insani yardım alanındaki ana aktörlerden biri olarak yükselmiş ve insaniyetçilik Türk dış politikası yapıcılarının söyleminde merkezi bir tema haline gelmiştir. En önemlisi, Türk hükümeti insani diplomasi kavramını resmi olarak dış politika gündeminin parçası haline getirmiştir. Bu nedenle, bu makale Türkiye’nin yakın dönemde küresel bir yardımsever aktör haline gelmesini analiz etmeyi ve ‘Türk tipi insani diplomasinin’ temel özelliklerini keşfetmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu amaçla, tekil devletlerin insani diplomasi uygulamasını değerlendirmek üzere üç sütunlu bir yaklaşım önermekte ve Türkiye’nin genel insaniyetçi politikasının devlet odaklı insani diplomasinin üç sütunu ile ne şekilde benzeştiğini tartışmaktadır. Makale ayrıca vaka incelemesi olarak Türkiye’nin Somali’ye ve Myanmar’daki Rohingya krizine yönelik insani müdahalelerini incelemektedir. Devlet odaklı insani diplomasi, Soğuk Savaş sonrası dönemde insaniyetçiliğin siyasallaşmasını ve insani yardım sisteminin standardizasyonunu daha da derinleştirmiştir. Bu çerçevede makale, Türkiye’nin insani diplomasiyi benimsemesinin, hem insani diplomasiyi daha genel siyasal meseleler ve politik hedefler ile ilişkilendirerek hem de uluslararası insani yardım sisteminin kurumsal kapasite gelişimine yardımcı olarak bu iki küresel trende katkı sunduğu sonucuna varmıştır.

Keywords

İnsani diplomasi, Türk dış politikası, Somali, Rohingya krizi, İnsani yardım

References

• AFAD (2021, January 1). Aid provided by Turkey to Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh As of January 1 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Aid%20delivered%20by%20Turkey%20to%20Rohingya%20refugees%20in%20Bangladesh_0.pdf
• Agenda For Humanity (n.d.). World Humanitarian Summit 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://agendaforhumanity.org/summit.html
• Akçapar, B. (2021). Diplomaside Siyasi Girişimcilik: Barış İçin Arabuluculuk Girişiminin On Yılı. Uluslararası İlişkiler, 18(69), 29-48. https://doi.org/10.33458/uidergisi.772679
• Akpınar, P. (2013). Turkey’s Peacebuilding in Somalia: The Limits of Humanitarian Diplomacy. Turkish Studies, 14(5), 735-757. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683849.2013.863448
• Altunışık, M.B. (2014). Turkey as an ‘Emerging Donor’ and the Arab Uprisings. Mediterranean Politics, 19(3), 333-350. https://doi.org/10.1080/13629395.2014.959761
• Altunışık, M.B. (2019, September). Turkey’s Humanitarian Diplomacy: The AKP Model. CMI Brief Number 08, Chr. Michelsen Institute.
• Aras, B. and Akpinar, P. (2015) The Role of Humanitarian NGOs in Turkey's Peacebuilding. International Peacekeeping, 22(3), 230-247. https://doi.org/10.1080/13533312.2015.1033374
• Barakat, S. (2019, July). Priorities and challenges of Qatar’s Humanitarian Diplomacy. CMI Brief Number 07, Chr. Michelsen Institute.
• Barnett, M. (2005). Humanitarianism Transformed. Perspectives on Politics, 3(4), 723–740. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592705050401
• Barnett, M. (2011). Empire of Humanity: A History of Humanitarianism. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Barnett, M. and Weiss, T.G. (2011). Humanitarianism Contested: Where Angels Fear to Tread. London & New York: Routledge.
• Bayer, R. and Keyman, E. F. (2012). Turkey: an emerging hub of globalization and internationalist humanitarian actor? Globalizations, 9(1), 73-90. https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2012.627721
• Binder, A. (2014). The Shape and Sustainability of Turkey’s Booming Humanitarian Assistance. International Development Policy/ Revue internationale de politique de développement 5(2) https://doi.org/10.4000/poldev.1741
• Dal, E.P. (2013). Assessing Turkey's “Normative” Power in the Middle East and North Africa Region: New Dynamics and their Limitations. Turkish Studies, 14(4), 709-734. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683849.2013.861113
• Davutoğlu, A. (2012, September 28) Address to the UN General Assembly Sixty-Seventh Session A/67/PV.15. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://undocs.org/en/A/67/PV.15
• Davutoğlu, A. (2013). Analysis of Current Events: Turkey’s Humanitarian Diplomacy: Objectives, Challenges and Prospects. Nationalities Papers, 41(6), 865–870. https://doi.org/10.1080/00905992.2013.857299
• De Lauri, A. (2018, June). Humanitarian Diplomacy: A New Research Agenda. CMI Brief Number 4, Chr. Michelsen Institute.
• Development Initiatives (2018). Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://devinit.org/resources/global-humanitarian-assistance-report-2018/#downloads
• Donelli, F. (2017). Features, Aims and Limits of Turkey’s Humanitarian Diplomacy. Central European Journal of International and Security Studies, 11(3), 59-83.
• Erdoğan, RT (2011, September 22) Address to the UN General Assembly Sixty-Sixth Session. A/66/PV.15. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://undocs.org/en/A/66/PV.15
• Erdoğan, RT (2017, September 19) Address to the UN General Assembly Seventy-Second Session. A/72/PV.4. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://undocs.org/en/A/72/PV.4
• Erdoğan, RT (2019, September 24) Address to the UN General Assembly Seventy-Fourth Session. A/74/PV.3. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://undocs.org/en/A/74/PV.3
• Fiott, D. (2018) Humanitarian Diplomacy. In Martel, G. (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Diplomacy (pp.1-10). London/New Jersey: Wiley Publishers.
• Gilley, B. (2015, Spring) Turkey, Middle Powers, and the New Humanitarianism. Perceptions, XX(1), 37-58.
• Gökalp, D. (2020, February). The UAE’s Humanitarian Diplomacy: Claiming State Sovereignty, Regional Leverage and International Recognition. CMI Working Paper Number 1, Chr. Michelsen Institute.
• 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
• Gül, A. (2013, September 24) Address to the UN General Assembly Sixty-Eighth Session. A/68/PV.5. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://undocs.org/en/A/68/PV.5
• Human Rights Council (2018, September 12). Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/FFM-Myanmar/A_HRC_39_64.pdf
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) (2009). Humanitarian Diplomacy Policy. Retrieved September 4, 2018, from https://www.ifrc.org/document/humanitarian-diplomacy-policy
• Karahan, H. (2020). The Quest for A New International Aid Architecture: The Turkish Experience. Cham: Palgrave MacMillan.
• Keyman, E. F. and Sazak, O. (0214) Turkey as a “Humanitarian State.” POMEAS (Project on the Middle East and the Arab Spring) Policy Paper 2 Retrieved December 31, 2021, from https://research.sabanciuniv.edu/31364/1/keyman-turkey-as-a-humanitarian-state.pdf
• Kınık, K. and Aslan, H. K. (2020). İnsani Diplomasi. In A.R.Usul and İ. Yaylacı (Eds.), Dönüşen Diplomasi ve Türkiye: Aktörler, Alanlar, Araçlar, (pp. 353-391). İstanbul: Küre Yayınları.
• MFA (2012-b, October 25). No: 244, October 25, 2012, Press Release Regarding the Recent Events in the Rakhine (Arakan) Region of Myanmar. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-244_-25-october-2012_-press-release-regarding-the-recent-events-in-the-rakhine-_arakan_-region-of-myanmar.en.mfa
• MFA (2012, June 1). The Second İstanbul Conference on Somalia: Final Declaration. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.mfa.gov.tr/the-second-istanbul--conference-on-somalia_-final-declaration_-1-june-2012_-istanbul.en.mfa
• MFA (2017, 6-7 September). Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited Bangladesh, accompanying First Lady Emine Erdoğan. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.mfa.gov.tr/disisleri-bakani-cavusoglunun-banglades-ziyareti_en.en.mfa
• MFA (n.d-a). Turkey’s Enterprising and Humanitarian Foreign Policy. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.mfa.gov.tr/synopsis-of-the-turkish-foreign-policy.en.mfa
• MFA (n.d.-c). Resolution of Conflicts and Mediation. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from http://www.mfa.gov.tr/resolution-of-conflicts-and-mediation.en.mfa
• MFA (n.d.-d). Turkey-Africa Relations. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkey-africa-relations.en.mfa
• MFA (n.d.-d). Turkish aid, the first international aid aside from the UN was reached out to the Rakhine region. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkish-aid-the-first-international-aid-aside-from-the-un-was-reached-out-to-the-rakhine-region.en.mfa
• MFA (n.d.-e). Foreign Minister Davutoğlu visits the camps in Rakhine State. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.mfa.gov.tr/foreign-minister-davutoglu-visits-the-camps-in-rakhine-state.en.mfa
• MFA (n.d.-f). Foreign Minister Davutoğlu asked the OIC to take the lead with regard to the situation of Muslims in Myanmar. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.mfa.gov.tr/foreign-minister-davutoglu-asked-the-oic-to-take-the-lead-with-regard-to-the-situation-of-muslims-in-myanmar.en.mfa
• Minear, L. (2007). The craft of humanitarian diplomacy. In L. Minear and H. Smith (Eds.), Humanitarian Diplomacy: Practitioners and Their Craft, (pp.7-35). Tokyo & New York: United Nations University Press.
• Minear, L. and Hazel S. (2007). Introduction. In L. Minear and H. Smith (Eds.), Humanitarian Diplomacy: Practitioners and Their Craft, (pp.1-4). Tokyo & New York: United Nations University Press.
• Moreels, R. (1989) Humanitarian Diplomacy: The Essence of Humanitarian Assistance. In F. Kalshoven (Ed.), Assisting the Victims of Armed Conflict and Other Disasters: Papers Delivered at the International Conference on Humanitarian Assistance, The Hague, 22-24 June 1988. (pp.43–54) Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
• OCHA (2017, June). What is the Agenda for Humanity? Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://agendaforhumanity.org/sites/default/files/OOM%20Agenda%20for%20Humanity.pdf
• OIC (2017, September 10). OIC Chairman’s Summary Report of the Meeting of Heads of State and Government on the Rohingya Muslim Community in Myanmar Held on the Sidelines of the 1st OIC Summit of Science and Technology. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.oic-oci.org/upload/documents/1st_is_rep_rohingya_en.pdf
• Özerdem, A. (2016). Turkey as a Rising Power: An Emerging Global Humanitarian Actor. In Z. Sezgin and D.Dijkzeul (Eds.), The New Humanitarians in International Practice Emerging Actors and Contested Principles, (pp.64-81). New York & Oxon: Routledge.
• Presidency of the Republic of Turkey (2016, February 23). Somalia has become a symbol of the relations we wish to establish with our brothers in Africa. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/39918/somalia-has-become-a-symbol-of-the-relations-we-wish-to-establish-with-our-brothers-in-africa
• Presidency of the Republic of Turkey (2017). Violent Acts against Rohingya Muslims Must End. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/83550/arakanli-muslumanlara-yonelik-siddet-eylemlerine-son-verilmeli
• Presidency of Strategy and Budget (2019). The Eleventh Development Plan (2019-2023). Retrieved December 31, 2021, from https://www.sbb.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Eleventh_Development_Plan_2019-2023.pdf
• Regnier, P. (2011, December) The Emerging Concept of Humanitarian Diplomacy: Identification of a Community of Practice and Prospects for International Recognition. International Review of the Red Cross, 93(884) 1211-1237.
• Republic of Turkey Ministry of Development. (2014). The Tenth Development Plan (2014-2018) Retrieved December 31, 2021, from https://sbb.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/The_Tenth_Development_Plan_2014-2018.pdf
• Rousseau, E. and Pende, A.S. (2020) Humanitarian Diplomacy. In T. Balzacq, F.Charillon and F. Ramel (Eds.), Global Diplomacy: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, (pp.253-266). Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Sazak, O., and Woods, E. (2017). Thinking Outside the Compound: Turkey’s Approach to Peacebuilding in Somalia. In Call, C. T., and de Coning, C. (Ed.), Rising Powers and Peacebuilding Breaking the Mold?, (pp.167-189). New York: Palgrave Macmillian.
• Smith, H. (2007). Humanitarian Diplomacy: Theory and Practice. In L. Minear and H. Smith (Eds.), Humanitarian Diplomacy: Practitioners and Their Craft, (pp.36-62). Tokyo & New York: United Nations University Press.
• Sucuoğlu, G. and Stearns, J. (2016, November). Turkey in Somalia: Shifting Paradigms of Aid. Research Report 24, South African Institute of International Affairs.
• Sucuoğlu, G. and Sazak, O. (2016). The New Kid on the Block: Turkey’s Shifting Approaches to Peacebuilding. Rising Powers Quarterly, 1(2) 69-91.
• Tank, P. (2015, March). Turkey as a Humanitarian Actor: the Critical Cases of Somalia and Syria. Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre Report. Retrieved August 23, 2021, from https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/190003/e322a62c1a18b503d37ca6dca4b2188b.pdf
• TIKA (2012). Turkish Development Assistance 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.tika.gov.tr/upload/oldpublication/TurkishDevelopmentAssistance2012.pdf
• TIKA (2013). Türkiye Kalkınma Yardımları Raporu 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2021 from https://www.tika.gov.tr/upload/oldpublication/KalkinmaYardimlariRaporu2013.pdf
• TIKA (2014). Turkish Development Assistance 2014 Report. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.tika.gov.tr/upload/2016/INGILIZCE%20SITE%20ESERLER/KALKINMA%20RAPORLARI/DA%20Report%202014.pdf
• TIKA (2016). Turkish Development Assistance Report 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.tika.gov.tr/upload/2018/Turkish%20Development%20Assistance%20Report%202016/Turkish%20Development%20Assistance%20Report%202016.pdf
• TIKA (2019). Turkish Development Assistance Report 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.tika.gov.tr/upload/sayfa/publication/2019/TurkiyeKalkinma2019WebENG.pdf
• TRTWorld (2017, December 18). Turkish PM Binali Yildirim to visit Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh camps. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.trtworld.com/asia/turkish-pm-binali-yildirim-to-visit-rohingya-muslims-in-bangladesh-camps-13409
• Turkiye Diyanet Foundation (n.d.). Kriz Bölgeleri. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://tdv.org/tr-TR/faaliyetlerimiz/kriz-bolgeleri/
• UN (2013, May 2). Somalia famine killed nearly 260,000 people, half of them children – reports UN. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2013/05/438682-somalia-famine-killed-nearly-260000-people-half-them-children-reports-un
• UN (2017, September 11). UN human rights chief points to ‘textbook example of ethnic cleansing’ in Myanmar. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2017/09/564622-un-human-rights-chief-points-textbook-example-ethnic-cleansing-myanmar#.WfJRrltSy70
• UN Peacemaker (n.d.). Group of Friends of Mediation. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://peacemaker.un.org/friendsofmediation
• UNHCR (April 2021). Bangladesh: Operational Update. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/86705
• UNHCR (March-April 2021). Myanmar: Operational Update. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/86631
• UNHCR (n.d.) Syria Regional Refugee Response. Retrieved September 8, 2021, from https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/113
• Veuthey, M. (2012). Humanitarian Diplomacy: Saving it When it is Most Needed. In A. Vautravers, Y. Fox (Eds.), Humanitarian Space and the International Community: 16th Humanitarian Conference, (pp. 195-208) Geneva: Webster University.