Turkey’s Medical Diplomacy During the Pandemic

Abstract

The current Turkish government has for long addressed the role of humanitarian aid in diplomacy, especially in relations with the developing countries; yet it is now with the COVID-19 crisis that Turkey employs medical diplomacy as a means of showing cooperation and support not only to the developing countries but also to the most developed ones. Immediately after the outbreak of the pandemic in different parts of the world, Turkey has taken action to assist to the countries deeply hit by the new coronavirus. The US, the UK, Italy, France, Spain and Israel are among Turkey’s medical packages recipients as well as Palestine, Bosnia, Kosovo, Pakistan, Iraq and Iran. The medical assistance which includes the distribution of face masks, protective suits and disinfectants is surely symbolic, not a big game-changer for the recipient countries. However, it is still remarkable to present cooperation and solidarity among the partners in such unprecedented times. What makes this move more interesting is that Ankara takes this step despite ongoing tensions with some of these countries. This work will discuss how Turkey responds to the pandemic in terms of medical diplomacy and analyze how Turkey tries to maintain its soft power in times of turmoil.