The Contribution of IHH's Humanitarian Activities in the South and Southeast Asia to Turkiye's Foreign Policy

Abstract

This thesis claims that International non-governmental organizations can play a major role in having an impact in the foreign relationship of the States concerned, by having IHH's example over the state of Turkiye. NGOs began to gain high prominence in the dynamic world order that evolved especially after the end of Cold War in the late nineties. Although they don't possess powers like military power those of the states nor economic power those of the multinational companies, NGOs are powerful and influential themselves in their nature; with their uniquely developed strategies that help them to gain access to all the places and reach all kinds of communities around the world without having to resist nor resort to the use of force. These characteristics make them have an impact over the international relationship of the states. This thesis is prepared by using the sources from the field work of IHH, by genuine examples of how it has acted not only as an aid provider but also as humanitarian advocate at times and how its actions have influenced the improvement of foreign relationship of the state of Turkiye thus paving way to the finding of their positive impact over the image and soft power of the Country.