All countries are exposed to disasters and crises, but how can countries take advantage of disasters that occur in other countries to carry out activities that contribute to increasing opportunities for cooperation and peace, building long-term relationships, and increasing their soft power.
Therefore, a new concept emerged, and quickly developed to open a field for studying opportunities to build international relations, which is disaster diplomacy, which focuses on how the state acts when another country is exposed to a disaster such as earthquakes, fires and the spread of epidemics, so it provides assistance and humanitarian relief, and provides expertise, and technology that can reduce The effects of the disaster, or prevent its occurrence or stop it.
One of the most important success stories in the use of disaster diplomacy is Turkey’s role in confronting the Corona epidemic (Covid-19) and its exploitation of its advanced industry in the production of materials necessary to confront the epidemic and its prevention and methods of confronting it, and to provide these products to many countries, and the image of Turkey developed - and it presents these People's Relief Products - the basis for their future soft power.
This led to an increase in the need for countries to qualify experts in diplomatic work, to plan to use the capabilities of the state to provide assistance to other countries during disasters, and to build its mental image as a state that is keen on human life and civilization, and contributes to helping countries to overcome the disasters they may be exposed to.
In this era, disasters have diversified. They are no longer confined to natural disasters such as fires, earthquakes, volcanoes, floods and droughts, but include coups, civil wars and the spread of epidemics.
Therefore, the activities and actions that countries can undertake and the assistance they provide during those disasters have varied with the aim of building their relations with peoples who are more sensitive during disaster periods, and a willingness to appreciate any relief operations or assistance in mitigating the severity of the disaster, and there are many expectations that the resulting disasters will spread. About climate change during the twenty-first century, and this requires countries to develop their policies and strategies in relief work, provide their experiences in confronting them, and use them to build their mental image, soft power and relations with peoples.
Turkey in the face of Corona
One of the most important success stories in the use of disaster diplomacy is Turkey’s role in confronting the Corona epidemic (Covid-19) and its exploitation of its advanced industry in the production of materials necessary to confront the epidemic and its prevention and methods of confronting it, and to provide these products to many countries, and the image of Turkey developed - and it presents these People's Relief Products - the basis for their future soft power.
Turkey, which is progressing to save humanity from the epidemic, has impressed the peoples, and succeeded in presenting itself to the world that it can contribute to building a better future for all people who are facing new types of epidemics and disasters. .
One of the most important features that Turkey has succeeded in instilling in the minds of peoples - during its activities in providing assistance during the Corona crisis - is that it is a country with a history and civilization and stems from well-established principles, the most important of which is the concern for human life, and the preservation of human dignity.
With the state of terror caused by Corona to humans, peoples began to look forward to the Turkish humanitarian role, and even European peoples began to realize that a strong Turkey constitutes an important addition to Europe, as it can advance to rescue and relief and provide its expertise in the face of disasters.
This role was not limited to providing relief to the peoples, as the Turkish state provided the vaccine free of charge to all those on its lands, and this led to the emergence of a new aspect, which is dealing with foreigners and refugees, and building a positive image of the Turkish state in their minds, as it is a generous country that provided the vaccine for Syrian refugees who suffer persecution of many countries.
And it was not limited to the Syrian refugees, many citizens of other countries now want to travel to Turkey to get the vaccine for free because their countries only provide it to the rich.
It is clear that Turkey has thus been able to increase its soft power, build a positive image of it in the minds of many peoples, and form an army of ambassadors who can achieve the goals of its foreign policies.
And the hearts of Muslims are with Turkey
In the fire disaster that afflicted Turkey, which posed a serious threat, Muslims sympathized with it, and the scene of worshipers in Pakistan praying to God to protect Turkey and to send rain to put out the fires was interesting, and could contribute to the development of the sciences of public diplomacy, and the mental image , and soft power.
Also, an analysis of the messages carried by social media shows that there is a general sympathy from Muslims all over the world for Turkey, which managed to win the hearts and souls of Muslims, and that Muslims' support for it forms the basis of its soft power.
Analysis of the messages on social media also shows the discontent of the Islamic peoples with the media of the Arab regimes, which talked about the fires in a way that can be interpreted as gloating and a desire for revenge, and hatred for the Turkish people.
Analysis of these messages on social media shows that Arab peoples described the media and their affiliated systems as hostile to Islam, and an alliance with the Zionist entity, given that it is this entity that protects these systems.
It is clear that these media outlets provoked the hostility of Muslims against the regimes affiliated with them that speak their name, and this shows the danger of the Arab dictatorships employing unqualified people in the field of media, and dealing with the media as a “legendary” and not a science.
The narrow view of the hypocritical media will lead to an increase in the people's hatred of the regimes they defend and serve, as they are "like a bear that killed its owner."
The irony of the power media
Analysis of the messages on social media also reveals that the Arab peoples dealt with the media of the Arab dictatorial regimes with hatred, contempt, contempt and ridicule.
The peoples raised the talk of these means about Turkey's failure to put out the fires, while the peoples were proud of Turkey's ability to confront these fires despite their spread, and that Turkey was able to face the challenges and withstand that crisis, and used all its capabilities to overcome this disaster.
Many messages have appeared on social media expressing pride in the strength of the Turkish state, and its success in extinguishing many fires, and on these means expressions of thanks to God - Glory be to Him - for the rain that fell suddenly in August, especially in Antalya To put out the largest fires.
The descent of the rain has led to an increase in the feelings of faith that constitute a psychological strength for Muslims in the face of disasters, and the feeling of joy in this rain that fills the souls of Muslims with certainty with the power and ability of God to help Islam, when adversity intensifies and crises and disasters follow on Muslims who have become chant with the people of Syria that chant which They raised it in their revolution and their ordeal, "We have no other than you, O God."
The rain that descended on Turkey and put out the fires constituted an important transformation in the hearts of Muslims. Here is the power of God that is manifested when people exert all their strength and struggle in the face of disasters, so the rain falls suddenly at a time when no one expects it to fall, so peoples are waiting for the rain that extinguishes the fires that extended on the map of the Arab world, threatening its peoples with annihilation after hunger, poverty and oppression.
Algeria is waiting for rain
One of the most important changes that we can clearly notice is the emergence of an Islamic public opinion that sympathizes with Turkey and is now sympathetic to the people of Algeria who are facing the disaster of fires.
As hands rose to the sky and tears poured down in a prayer to God that the rain should come down on Turkey to extinguish its fires, we can clearly witness that the hearts of Muslims have become looking to the sky, and praying to God that the rain should come down on Algeria.
Although the materialistic secularists of the West ridicule the feelings of Muslims and their behavior of faith in the face of disasters, it is clear to everyone who wants to use his scientific analytical capabilities that there is an Islamic public opinion that forms in all countries, and that the feelings of sympathy and love expressed by Muslims all over the world constitute Soft power for Turkey and Algeria.
These disasters, during which Muslims' sympathy with Turkey and Algeria was evident, show that Islamic public opinion can, in the coming years, constitute a source of strength for the entire Islamic nation, and that it can lead a process of change in the whole world. Planning for the future based on how the West faces this rising power.
As for the Arab dictatorial regimes, they deal with hostility with science, and call peoples their hypocritical media who lack knowledge, experience and talent, so they set fires under their feet, and make all Muslims hate them.
If those regimes consulted the scientists, they would direct them to send all their strength, expertise and capabilities to contribute to extinguishing the fires in Algeria.
I am expressing an Islamic public opinion that is turning to God with hearts filled with faith in his ability and strength to bring rain to Algeria, which every Muslim has no choice but to love, and to remember with pride its people’s resistance to the French occupation, and their great sacrifices for liberation and independence.
May God save Algeria and bring rain to it.