Turkey’s Higher-Education Scholarship Program as a Public Diplomacy Instrument: “Turkiye Scholarships”

Abstract

Initiated in 2012, “Turkiye (Turkey) Scholarships” has been designated as an exchange diplomacy tool by the Turkish government that would enable to broaden Turkey’s sphere of influence regionally and globally. The government-funded Turkiye Scholarships ensures university placement for foreign students as well as providing financial support. The applications to the program have showed a great increase throughout the years, demonstrating that it has become an attractive public diplomacy means of Turkey. According to the Turkish Council of Higher Education, around 150.000 foreign students are currently studying at Turkish universities, thus making Turkey a notable host country for international students. This paper will analyze the role of Turkiye Scholarships as an instrument of Turkey’s public diplomacy and discuss the contributions of the scholarship program to Turkey’s soft power.