Turkey's perception of development assistance and its distinctness within the context of donor-beneficiary relations: The case of the Balkans

The emergence of the concept of development assistance dates back to the 1800s. This concept, which was known as foreign assistance at that time, took its present form after the Second World War. Although the concept of development assistance, which was institutionalized in line with the traditional development approach, has changed in many respects over time, it substantially maintains its traditional structure in terms of the goals and objectives of the countries offering assistance. Development assistance, which can be defined as the act of developed countries transferring their resources to underdeveloped and developing countries in the simplest terms, differs according to the providing methods, the application methods, and the objectives of the donor countries. Dominant actors in the field of development assistance are the donor countries and international organizations offering assistance. The beneficiary countries, which are the target of this assistance, are other actors in this field in line with their passive role. Donor countries are divided into different categories based on the date they started their assistance activities, the perception they adopted, the goals and objectives they pursued, the types of projects and programs they preferred, and the methods of providing the assistance. In general, the first countries that began to offer modern development assistance are called traditional donors. Countries that later participate in the field of development assistance as donor countries are referred to as emerging donors. Unlike traditional donors, emerging donors, which do not have a homogeneous structure, are divided into different groups within themselves according to their characteristic features. The motivations of donor countries, which are divided into various categories, for providing assistance differ accordingly. In terms of traditional donors, their colonial heritage, strategic interests, safety of the Western world and the promotion of the perception of free market are prominent motivation sources. In terms of emerging donors, establishing various partnerships and collaborations with beneficiary countries in line with the win-win understanding and being more visible in the international field are the main sources of motivation. The Balkan geography is among the regions where development assistance is provided most in the world in terms of both emerging and traditional donors. On the one hand, the impossibilities faced by the countries in this region and the problems they have to confront; on the other hand, the geostrategic importance of the region in question make the Balkan geography one of the regions to where development assistance is provided most. Among the countries in the region, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia are prominent countries regarding assistance. In this regard, this thesis, which is based on a field study conducted in the four aforementioned countries, aims to reveal the ideological context of the relationship between the donor countries and the beneficiary countries, to enable the political and social discussion of the concept of development regarding the beneficiary countries, and to examine the tangible effect revealed by the development assistance and its meaning for the beneficiaries. In addition, in line with all these, the nature, quality, objectives and strengths and weaknesses of the assistance provided by Turkey in the Balkans were tried to be revealed through the practice on the field within the scope of this thesis. Key Words: Development aids, International social policy, Donor and beneficiary relationship, Effect of aids