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Turkey donates $1.7 billion in aid to developing countries

A doctor from Turkey's largest charity organization Kimse Yok Mu treats a Somali child. (Photo: Cihan)

Wednesday, November 09, 2011
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Turkey has donated nearly $1 billion in humanitarian aid to underdeveloped and developing nations across the world last year through state channels and Turkey's total aid neared $1.7 billion despite financial crisis that swept across the Western nations.
 

The state-run Anatolia news agency reported on Wednesday that Turkey primarily sent aid to countries in Central Asia, the Balkans, Africa and several states in Middle East last year and official donations to these countries totalled $4.4 billion since 2005.

Turkey donated $601 million in 2005, $714 million in 2006, $602 million in 2007, $780 million in 2008. Turkey's official foreign aid to developing countries were $707 million in 2009 and despite economic woes around the globe, donations increased by 36 percent and reached to $967 million last year.

Turkey's total donations to foreign countries, including donations made by civil society organizations and private companies, reached to $1,718 billion. While $626 million of aid was spent on technical cooperation projects and programs, $481 million was devoted to development of social infrastructure. $23 million of aid went to economic infrastructure, $111 million to increase productivity and $10 million was spent in other sectors.

According to Turkey's 2012 planning in foreign aid next year, Turkey will continue with its donations based on foreign policy priorities and will promote the participation of private sectors in international technical cooperation activities. Turkey also plans to increase its regional and global cooperation with multilateral development agencies.

Considering that Turkey donated more than $500 million in aid to famine-hit Somalis this year, the amount of foreign aid is set to increase in 2011 figures.

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