Turkey’s nascent international development sector is dominated by governmental and multilateral agencies, although some regional development agencies have also entered the mix. The Group of 20-member country’s growing development financing operations are helping to secure its place as a regional powerhouse.
In 2009, Turkey provided $707.17 million in official development assistance, marking a significant rise from 2002, when it provided $72.97 million. Of the 2009 ODA contribution, $665.31 million came via bilateral aid and $41.86 million via multilateral aid. Despite this emergent role as a donor nation, Turkey continues to be listed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development as an aid recipient.
Central Asian Turkic countries have traditionally been the main beneficiaries of Turkey’s assistance as Turkish kinship plays an important role in assistance to the region. Indeed, the 15th-largest economy in the world ranks among the top aid donors in these countries, ranking among much larger donor countries such as the United States and Japan.