| Türk İşbirliği ve Koordinasyon Ajansı | |
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Ankara, Turkey |
| Employees | 760 |
| Annual budget | 2.612.491.000 TL (2024) |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent department | Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Turkey) |
| Website | tika |
TheTurkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (Turkish:Türk İşbirliği ve Koordinasyon İdaresi Başkanlığı,TİKA) is a government department subordinate to theMinistry of Culture and Tourism (Turkey).[1] Focusing on development cooperation, TİKA works in more than 150 countries.[2] It also goes by the nameTurkish International Cooperation and Development Agency. TİKA is responsible for the organization of the bulk of Turkey'sofficial development assistance todeveloping countries, with a particular focus onTurkic andAfrican countries and communities. According to theOECD, 2020 official development assistance from Turkey increased by 1.2% to US$8 billion.[3] As of January 2022, TİKA has undertaken 30,000 projects worldwide.[4]
TIKA's objectives can be summarized as;[5]
With the dissolution of the USSR in 1991,Turkic countries in Central Asia gained their independence (Azerbaijan,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Turkmenistan, andUzbekistan). This paved the way for the resurgence of dual relations betweenTurkey and these countries. Sharing a common language, history, culture and ethnicity with these countries, developing these relations has been a permanent focus for Turkey. There was a need to establish an organization in order to fund, develop and coordinate activities and projects in a variety of different fields. The Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TCCA) in 1992 was established for this purpose.[6]
TCCA Program Coordination offices were set up inAzerbaijan,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Turkmenistan, andUzbekistan. Numerous projects in the fields of education, agriculture, industry and finance were undertaken. The main focus in these early years was on educational and social projects in Central Asia such as the construction of schools, universities, libraries and providing scholarships to students and public officials to study in Turkey.[7]
In this era, TCCA was developed to become an integral part of Turkish Foreign Policy.[5] Its activity area was enlarged to encompass the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. The number of programme coordination offices more than doubled from 12 offices in 2002 to 28 in 2010.[7] Over time, TCCA's focus began to shift from direct aid provision to technical assistance, institutional capacity building and human development activities, and other types of work were added to its responsibilities, like leading heritage restoration projects.[8] More than 100 projects were implemented in 25 countries in 2010.[9]
By the end of the decade, the destination of the majority of aid and assistance had shifted fromTurkic countries to Africa.[9] During this decade, development aid provided by Turkey reached US$1.273 billion.[7]
During this period, activities have been expanded into Latin America as well as the wider Asian region. In 2014 year in the framework of the partnership of TCCA TATIP Turkey-Azerbaijan-Tanzania Cooperation Health Program, Doctors of the World association and Azerbaijan volunteer doctors, Doctors of the World association, Azerbaijan volunteer doctors and The Fund of Aid for Youth (Azerbaijan) as well as with the assistance of doctors Bahruz Guliyev, Imran Jarullazada, Qoshqar Mammadov and within the support of Tanzania REHEMA Foundation realized cataract surgery of more than 100 Tanzanian patients and more than 100 patients underwent eye examinations.[10] As of 2015, TIKA has programme coordination offices in 42 countries.[11]
Top aid destinations have beenTunisia,Somalia,Afghanistan,Chad,North Macedonia andKyrgyzstan.[11]
Activities and projects in 2015 included[11]
TCCA has supported many countries fight againstCOVID-19, such asPalestine, &Uganda.[12]
InSouth Africa, in April 2020, TCCA supportedKalafong Hospital inPretoria with 10,000 N95 face masks to be used by frontline health workers to curb the spread ofCOVID-19[13]
TCCA also provided protective gear inLesotho to help the Southern African Kingdom curb the outbreak of theCOVID-19 pandemic. The donated equipment was used in hospitals and clinics by medical staff and by community health workers in the remote rural areas ofLesotho.[14]
In order to reduce the impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic in the Kingdom ofEswatini, TCCA assisted the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration by donating embroidery machines to be used in the production of face masks.[15]
In 2021, TCCA renovated the Duisi Mosque inGeorgia which was originally built in 1901.[16]
