Transformation of a Development Aid Agency: TIKA in a Changing Domestic and International Setting

Abstract

The Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) was established in 1992 just after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in order to help the socio-economic development of the newly independent Turkic states. Since its constitution, it has witnessed an uneven course of development due to several domestic and international factors. Political and economic instability in Turkey during the 1990s directly influenced the effectiveness of TIKA. Decreasing the attractiveness of the Turkish model and Russia's resurrection in the former Soviet territories helped weaken both Turkey's hands in the region and the prospect of TIKA's success. However, in the 2000s, it evolved to become a functional modern development aid agency in line with favorable changes in Turkey's domestic and international settings. TIKA has now restructured and transformed itself by enlarging its mission as well as its geographical scope. This article deals with how and under what conditions TIKA has experienced such a transformation in a turbulent domestic and international atmosphere.