Humanitarian action, a tool of Turkish propaganda in Africa

by Martin Aslan

With the arrival in power in 2002 of the AKP and its leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a new strategy was put into place to enable Türkiye to develop its ties with Africa. The Gülen movement, an ally at the time, was the first non-governmental organization to invest massively in Africa. This opportunistic alliance enabled Türkiye to strengthen its influence on the continent. However, this alliance broke in 2013, leaving a very significant pro-Gülen imprint to the detriment of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan 's power. Turkish soft power has been transformed and strengthened by TIKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency), which became a state agency in 2018, and by the creation of the MAARIF foundation (a state-run organization focused on international education) in 2016. Numerous humanitarian NGOs gravitate around these two major organizations. The difference from before is that the government has now much tighter control over these institutions.

TIKA, a multi-skilled state agency

Founded in 1992 amid the global shifts following the Soviet Union's collapse, TIKA emerged as a pivotal player in Türkiye's international outreach. In 2018, TIKA was officially described as a public agency of the Turkish state under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Today, TIKA coordinates projects in over 170 countries, with the help of Turkish NGO partners such as IHH and Islamic Help Türkiye. TIKA implements a wide range of projects in health, education, agriculture, access to water, infrastructure and more. TIKA plays a key role in supporting local communities with programs designed to improve their living environment. TIKA is present in 22 African countries and contributes to Türkiye's visibility in support of its diplomacy. 

Education, a major influence tool

MAARIF is a charitable foundation whose vocation is to disseminate an education based on Islam principals, including the Quran and the Sunna, from primary school to university. Present in 26 African countries, mainly Muslim ones. MAARIF is authorized to open educational establishments abroad on behalf of the Republic of Türkiye. It also grants scholarships and contributes to inter-university exchanges, so increasing its influence capability.

Under the governance of TIKA, MAARIF carried out actions such as the renovation of the “Turkish MAARIF School for Boys” in Karthoum in 2017, which caters for 1,200 pupils from primary to secondary level.

Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operate independently, directly supporting the interests of Erdoğan 's Türkiye. Beyond providing humanitarian aid to African communities, organizations such as the Universal Assistance and Developmentt Association (IDEA), the Ribat Education and Solidarity Foundation (RIBAT), and the Federation of Islamic Foundations (IDDEF) manage orphanages and Islamic schools. In 2019, during Operation Source of Peace in Syria, these NGOs impelled/urged children in orphanages in Sudan, Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso to raise awareness about the operation. Without a clear, official directive from the Turkish state, these NGOs foster new generations educated with ideological principles aligned with political Islamist movements which are, in the end, lined up with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The galaxy of Turkish NGOs in Africa serving Ankara’s interests

A large number of Turkish NGOs work on behalf of TIKA to carry out humanitarian projects. The best known are IHH and Islamic Help Türkiye. IHH (Humanitarian Relief Foundation) was founded in 1995 and provide support for people affected by natural disasters, war and persecution. Politically committed, IHH became known in 2009 for its pro-Palestinian actions when the Israeli army boarded the Mavi Marmara, the “Free Gaza flotilla”. In Somalia, Ethiopia, Chad, Niger, Sudan and Kenya, agricultural projects are now run by TIKA and carried out jointly with IHH.

Islamic Help is a charity registered in the UK. A Turkish branch is known for its joint actions with TIKA. In September 2024, a Turkish volunteer medical team offered free ENT and general surgery services at the Jazeera University Hospital and the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The project was organized jointly by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the NGO Islamic Help Türkiye. It is disturbing to note that this humanitarian action took place just as the ship Oruç Reis was beginning a hydrocarbon exploration campaign in Somali waters.

The religious façade of Turkish aid to resource-rich African nation

Türkiye’s humanitarian outreach in Africa is deeply intertwined with religion and strategic ambition. NGOs like IHH rely on zakat fundraising, using religious obligation to finance aid efforts, particularly in Muslim-majority countries such as Somalia or Niger. This reinforces Türkiye’s image as a protector of the global Muslim community and strengthens its cultural and religious ties on the continent. These efforts are also concentrated in resource-rich regions, where Türkiye combines humanitarian aid with economic and diplomatic engagement. In places like Libya and Sudan, Turkish influence extends beyond charity to business, education, infrastructure, and military cooperation.

Neocolonialist strategy

Evoking the legacy of the Ottoman Empire, Türkiye positions itself not as an external actor, but as a returning power with shared history and faith. This narrative allows Ankara to frame its presence as legitimate and familiar, rather than foreign. This strategy largely reminds colonialism—where humanitarian aid, religious solidarity, and development projects mask deeper ambitions of political influence and economic control. Religion thus becomes both a bridge and a tool—linking aid, ideology, and the projection of Turkish power under the guise of historical continuity.