With Balkan Aid Flights, Turkey Projects Big-Power Image

Together #Montenegro🇲🇪 and #Turkey🇹🇷 in the fight against #COVID19. Thank you President @RTErdogan @PodgoricaBE pic.twitter.com/skRUsPIolw

— Milo Đukanović (@predsjednik_cg) April 8, 2020

It was an impressive display of generosity, not least given the scale of the pandemic in Turkey itself, where the novel coronavirus is spreading at a rapid rate.

Ankara under Erdogan, experts say, is determined to project the image of a great power coming to the aid of others; likewise, Balkan leaders make political capital out of Turkey's largesse, and in doing so prod Europe to do more.

"Turkey knows how to do such thing properly," said Adnan Huskic, an international relations expert at the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"They use limited resources very well for public relations and public diplomacy, drawing the image of a powerful country helping others."

"Whoever helps in this crisis will be welcome and both the donor and receiver will use this during and after the pandemic for their political struggle."

Turkish Military Cargo Plane carrying medical aid welcomed by Tanju Bilgic, Turkey's Ambassador to Serbia, and Serbian Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin at Belgrade Airport Photo: Twitter Account of Turkish Embassy in Belgrade

 'Great marketing'

Turkey's own fight with COVID-19 is growing; as of April 9, the country had 42,282 confirmed cases. More than 900 have died since the first case was detected on March 11.

The rate of cases has experts warning Turkey could go the way of Italy, the European epicentre of the disease, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the country's economic and political landscape.

Yet Ankara...