Turkey is a nation situated right in the heart of a three-way street: it’s the crossroads between the Mediterranean, the Balkan states and the Middle East. While Turkey has always had a rich history rife with conflict, golden ages and political changes, its economic success since 2000 has been steadily increasing. However, the success of humanitarian aid to Turkey has not come easy, and now the country faces a new dilemma: the Middle Eastern refugee crisis.
According to the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations report, there are over 3.7 million refugees living in Turkey, as of 2017. With this great number of people and a shortage of space, the European Commission has been one of the leading assistants in relieving Turkey’s overflow issue. According to the Commission, three billion euros are being pumped into Turkey’s civil protection program, and a new flagship program called the Emergency Social Safety Net will allow nearly 1.3 million refugees to meet needs such as food shortages and housing issues.
Besides the European Commission, nearly 45 independent humanitarian programs are working with the Turkish government. However, the Turkish government has recently been cracking down on different private aid organizations. According to The Century Foundation, the government’s harsh views on the apolitical NGOs in the region have forced many humanitarian groups out of the area. Because of this, the success of humanitarian aid to Turkey is much lower than in recent years.
Along with its own financial success, according to Developmental Initiatives, Turkey is also receiving over $59 billion in aid from the United States and other developed countries, as of 2015. With a high level of international trading and a fairly advanced internal economic system, Turkey is far above the margin of success for underdeveloped countries. With its own economic success, and with the help of humanitarian aid from other countries and nonprofit organizations, Turkey has a strong chance of righting itself after its current population influx is addressed.
– Molly Atchison
Photo: Flickr