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Специфика гуманитарного аспекта внешней политики Турции в странах Латинской Америки и Карибского бассейна
Introduction. This article is devoted to identifying the specifi c features of Türkiye’s humanitarian policy in Latin America and the Caribbean. Despite the fact that Türkiye’s humanitarian policy in LAC is insignifi cant, it has been growing in recent years. The growing presence of Türkiye in Latin America and the Caribbean fi ts into the model of the country’s multi-vector foreign policy. Methods. The authors determine the dynamics of offi cial development assistance of Türkiye in Latin America and the Caribbean and Mexico in the period 2015–2021 and construct a matrix of the activities of the main institutions of the humanitarian infl uence of Türkiye in Latin America and the Caribbean (Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela). Analysis. The authors conclude that the specifi city of Türkiye’s humanitarian policy in Latin America and the Caribbean is the combination of cultural and humanitarian instruments (work with Muslim minorities and the promotion of Turkish culture and language) with socio-economic (primarily socially oriented and infrastructure) projects. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) is the key executor of humanitarian projects in Latin American countries, while other institutions of the humanitarian policy operate in the background of its activities. The main target audience in LAC is the most vulnerable categories of the population (children, women, elderly people, and people with disabilities); victims of natural disasters; and categories of people associated with Ottoman and Turkish culture, as well as Muslim minorities of various ethnic origins. Türkiye’s humanitarian policy in Latin America and the Caribbean is based on aid and support to communities that have, fi rst of all, cultural and religious affi nity, as well as a need for assistance. Authors’ contribution. Yu.A. Belous developed the theoretical and methodological basis and methodological design of the study; identifi ed the basic characteristics of the phenomenon of Turkish humanitarian policy and development assistance policy; analyzed the Turkish understanding of humanitarian policy; summarized the results of the work; and formulated conclusions. E.Yu. Kosevich participated in the refi nement of the general methodology and design of the study and revealed the key specifi cs of relations between Latin American countries and Türkiye in the context of development assistance. N.S. Kuliyeva collected and analyzed empirical and statistical data on Türkiye’s offi cial development assistance to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; worked with Turkish-language sources; compiled the matrix of the activities of Turkish humanitarian institutions in the region; and contributed to the interpretation of the results. The authors jointly prepared the content and results of the study. Funding. The study was funded by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 22-78-10014 (https://rscf.ru/project/22-78-10014/).