Why Does a Country Assist Another?The Origins and Evolution of Development Assistance, as well as Donor Motivations

Abstract

In addition to the development approaches they adopt, countries that are in the position of donor and provide development assistance may have different orientations according to the beneficiary country they are dealing with, the global conjuncture they are in, and the methods they prefer. These factors and many other factors constitute the motivation of donor countries to offer assistance. Herein, donors acting according to their national strategic priorities, donors taking positions according to their position in the global economic order, donors which display different attitudes according to the beneficiary country they deal with, and donors which evaluate development assistance in the context of international relations have different motivations. In the study, primarily, the concept of development assistance was conceptually discussed, and the theoretical foundations on which it is built were explained. Afterward, historical changes and transformations were discussed. The donor countries' motivation to offer assistance, which is the main focus of the study, was examined through the categorization of countries that have common characteristics among themselves. In this context, a heading was specifically opened for Turkey, and Turkey's history of development assistance was included as well. Moreover, the role played by international organizations, which are among the most important actors in this field, in the provision of assistance was also discussed under a separate heading.