ANALYSIS - Turkiye, Africa building joint humanitarian aid outlook

Turkish institutions such as Red Crescent, TIKA, Maarif Foundation provide effective, sustainable humanitarian aid efforts in Africa

2022-05-16 10:17:42

The writer works as an advisor at the Turkish Red Crescent

ANKARA

Henry Dunant, the founding father of the Red Cross, took the humanitarian principles of the law of war adopted by Emir Abdelkader, who was fighting against the French colonial occupation in Algeria. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement which laid the foundations of humanitarian aid has evolved from African lands. These activities have a history of keeping human dignity alive.

In the later stages of history, the Egyptian Red Crescent assisted the refugees during the Balkan War. Ottoman Red Crescent branches in cities such as Johannesburg in South Africa and Harar, in eastern Ethiopia, showed many examples of material and moral solidarity with Istanbul. It will be incomplete if we keep Turkiye's humanitarian perspective away from this past.

During the Tripoli War, the Red Crescent officers tried to heal the wounds together with the volunteers in Africa. During the last two decades, Turkiye has displayed a serious, consistent, and integrated approach toward Africa. Humanitarian aid and solidarity are one of the most important components of this expansion. Successful efforts have been made in many areas such as emergency aid for drought-related famine disasters, eliminating the problems in accessing water resources, providing access to basic health services, and establishing institutions that will strengthen social resistance.

Collaboration efforts, especially in the field of education, continue to help human development projects. With its airline network covering almost the entire African continent, Turkiye offers a strong logistical advantage for humanitarian aid efforts. The Turkish model developed for Africa, of course, does not yet have strong traditions.

However, the perspective, which is based on peace and in the interests of the societies is welcomed by many segments. The activities carried out by Turkiye's institutions such as the Red Crescent, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), and the Maarif Foundation provide effective and sustainable humanitarian aid efforts.

Reinforcing Turkiye's soft power

It is important to draw attention to the topics that determine the basic character of Turkiye's humanitarian aid efforts toward Africa. Every Eid-al-Adha, it has become traditional for Turkish aid organizations to reach the most remote points. In addition to reinforcing Turkiye's soft power, this provides the opportunity for Africa to meet with Turkiye again. Turkiye has experienced that there are various societies in different parts of Africa that do not fit into a single definition. People in different parts of Africa have experienced the difference between Turkiye and Europe's colonial past.

Turkiye has shown that its presence is permanent in Africa. With the institutions that it has opened and the development of local capacity, it has displayed faith in the future of Africa. The peace-building and humanitarian perspective that do not get stuck in the aid packages correctly completed the perception of the missing Turkiye, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

Turkiye did not display a humanitarian approach just because of religious ties. It continues to embrace an approach based on mutual respect with communities of different faiths and ethnicities.

Twenty years of accelerated experience offers positive indicators in terms of solidarity and strengthening societies, but the environmental and security problems facing the continent require cooperation on a larger scale. Innovative projects can be developed for the establishment of both peace and sustainable development with new coalitions to be established by humanitarian aid institutions.

Africa is an important player in the future of humanitarian aid and demands that a future should be built. Many of the problems that humanity inherited a hundred years ago were applied specifically to Africa. Africa has not abandoned its human dignity despite all the difficulties it has experienced. Today, it has the human power to set an example for the whole world. As Turkish society got to know Africa, it started to increase civil initiatives and activities towards the continent.

Africa is taking more and more place in Turkiye day by day. The number of African-origin employees and managers in Turkish humanitarian aid organizations is increasing. These people make an effort to transfer their experiences to their own countries.

Turkish scholarships

African students, who receive education in different fields with Turkiye scholarships, offer the African perspective with the experiences they have gained in the public and private sectors in Turkiye. This human infrastructure, which provides a deep ground for collaborations to be developed, can also provide a unique opportunity to reverse the brain drain for the continent experiencing human resource erosion.

The Turkish Airlines plane, which made a special flight to Sierra Leone in 2017, suddenly turned into an aid plane by using its cargo capabilities when the news of the landslide in this country was received. Again, during the pandemic, Turkiye supplied vaccine and medical supplies to Africa by establishing an “air bridge”.

As logistics opportunities increase, many African countries will build a beneficial future for themselves and the rest of the world with humanitarian aid cooperation. When the suffering of people who had to leave their homes due to natural and human disasters end, Africa will build a new and strong future with its precious people.

Hope, brotherhood, and confidence

As a friend of Africa who stands by her in difficult times in this journey of Africa, Turkiye will help to make societies stronger with its institutions. Every plane that departs from Istanbul to Africa also carries hope, brotherhood, and confidence in the future of Africa.

The work in the field will continue to increase and the policies focusing on the main problems at the “diplomatic desks” will be strengthened in the upcoming period.

If Henry Dunant and Emir Abdelkader had seen the dimensions of the humanitarian cooperation between Turkiye and Africa today, they would be inspired by brand new ideas. Turkiye and African countries are like old friends who know each other better, and new pages ​​are added to this friendship book every day.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu Agency.