Somaliland: Turkey Interested in Development Efforts for Somaliland

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Somaliland: Turkey Interested in Development Efforts for Somaliland

Sunday, 18 March 2012 19:20

Roundtable talks with the Turkish delegationBy: Yusuf M Hasan

HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) - President Silanyo has praised Turkish international cooperation and third world development support.

This sentiment was expressed at the Somaliland presidency during a meeting between president Silanyo and a visiting delegation from the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency-TIKA.

"Cooperation between Turkey and Somaliland is very good, especially in education where several of our youths are currently in Turkey as student beneficiaries of Turkish educational scholarships and we hope that your visit will enhance cooperation in other areas," said the president.

President Silanyo also told the TIKA delegation that Somalilanders consider Turks as brothers and they should therefore feel free and consider Hargeisa the way they do Istanbul.

The president told the TIKA team that he has assigned them two ministers who will facilitate all their needs in the country thus ease fulfillment of their quest. The two ministers who will work closely with the TIKA are Hon Dr.Saad Shire Minister of planning & coordination and Hon Hussein Abdi Duale minister of water/energy & minerals.

According to Mr. Abdulahad Kokdagi the TIKA Somali Program Coordinator, the Turkish delegation is in the country to make final arrangements for a wide range of proposed interventions in Somaliland and funded by Turkey.

The program coordinator revealed that the Turkish government will provide development assistance in the areas roads construction, Health and Education. These interventions will be managed by TIKA which is a department in the prime minister's office.

Mr. Kokdagi also revealed that the Turkish government will also welcome suggestions from the government of Somaliland as to other relevant and needy public sectors.

The Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) was established on January 24, 1992 in order to "[provide] development assistance foremost to developing countries where Turkish is spoken and countries that border Turkey as well as [improve] cooperation through projects and programs in economic, commercial, technical, social, cultural and educational arenas". TIKA currently maintains 21 coordination offices in 37 countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe. These strategic locations and the diversity of TIKA's projects have allowed the agency to not only serve as an effective manager of Turkey's development aid but to also become an important tool of Turkish public diplomacy.

Capitalizing on the potential of humanitarian assistance, reconstruction aid, and technical support to further the goals of public diplomacy has become common practice world-wide. In addition to running exchange programs and cultural activities, many countries have realized that highly visible humanitarian and development aid can bolster significantly a country's international standing. The work of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the EU's DG Development and DG ECHO are examples of how humanitarian assistance can help build the international prestige of a country or organization.

Although, the term 'public diplomacy' is never used to describe the activities of TIKA, the agency's website defines development assistance as "a significant instrument that allows new avenues for classical diplomacy in economic, social, cultural and humanitarian fields". In many ways, the agency has assumed the role of a coordinator in reaching out to diverse geographic areas to pursue the interests of Turkey. In this sense, TIKA has a strategic mission to promote a positive image of Turkey and to establish durable relationships with foreign publics by demonstrating that "Turkey and Turkish citizens are standing by their countries". Although Turkey did conduct similar activities prior to the establishment of TIKA, the agency has begun to coordinate these initiatives so as to make Turkey's efforts more cohesive and visible. As one Turkish journalist commented, TIKA now "acts as a pioneer unit, opening the doors for Turkey" and conveying the messages of Turkey through delivering aid.

Generally speaking, TIKA's role is to facilitate economic, commercial, technical, social, cultural and educational cooperation with developing countries via projects aimed at assisting the development of these countries. In accordance with this role, TIKA works to enhance infrastructure, improve living standards, provide vocational training and employment, protect monuments of joint heritage and culture, improve cultural relations, provide information and publishing services, and assist in the teaching of the Turkish language.

TIKA has played a particularly active role in assisting the transition of the former communist states of Central Asia and Eastern Europe. As TIKA President Hakan Fidan acknowledges, Turkey took "advantage of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Republic of Yugoslavia to initiate projects that reach out to the countries which Turkey could not communicate with during the Cold War". Indeed, Turkey was one of the first countries that recognized and supported the independence of these nations and gave technical assistance to help maintain their independent status.

[The Sage]

I like how the look at the national interest angle for Turkey. Very interesting.