Health Diplomacy in Turkey as the Interface of Health and Foreign Policy

Abstract

This study aims to examine the tools of health diplomacy, which has become an increasingly widespread soft power strategy in Turkish foreign policy, and to evaluate the results of its implementation. Health diplomacy activities were tried to be analyzed by organisational and institutional data and documents within their historical context. Due to its geopolitical, geoeconomic and geostrategic importance, Turkey uses humanitarian health aid as a diplomatic tool to develop and strengthen its bilateral relations with the countries of the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa. In this context, medical diplomacy tools such as establishing of health facilities abroad, scientific collaborations, granting scholarships to foreign students in medical sciences, providing direct medical care, humanitarian aid activities of non-governmental organizations; it serves to bringing countries closer together, strengthening diplomatic influence, positive image and religious ties in the region, and also searching for new markets. Thus, health diplomacy, which is the interface of the relationship between health, foreign policy and trade, plays a catalytic role in achieving Turkey's foreign policy goals.