Being ‘southern’ without being of the global South. The strange case of Turkey’s South-South Cooperation in Africa

he world is gradually changing from a Western-dominated system to one in which power is more diffuse, and the rules of the game are beginning to shift. Changes in the post-Cold War global order have also shaped trends in the field of development cooperation. The end of the bipolar balance has paved the way for new emerging players who have rapidly gained both economic and political power. These trends seem to have led African countries to realize that development can take place relatively quickly following different paths of growth. Indeed, the rapid economic growth, proactive diplomatic approach and enlargement of the areas of interest of these emerging–or (re) merging–players have transformed the landscape of international development cooperation by making it even more fluid (Mawdsley 2012).