Butterfly Effect on Preservıng Afrıcan Culture: Actıvıtıes at the Afrıcan Culture House and Handıcraft Market and the Touch of a Fırst Lady in Cultural Dıplomacy

Abstract

Throughout history, states have always made substantial efforts to sustain their existence. Thanks to globalization, cultural diplomacy and related networks have been changing, and in the digital era, it is getting more and more difficult to read the cultural codes. ln the current state of things, it is even more crucial for countries to introduce themselves correctly to other countries by benefiting from cultural diplomacy and create a positive effect on those countries. Many countries around the world have started attaching more importance to “first lady diplomacy” since it is acknowledged as an essential component of cultural diplomacy. What led to this importance is the attention paid by today’s states to the increasing impact and role of first ladies in achieving foreign policy objectives through diplomatic methods. It is possible to state that cultural diplomacy is among the diplomatic methods Türkiye has been actively using in its relationship with Africa, which it had paused for a long time and has focused on over the last 20 years. The most prominent project Türkiye is carrying out with regards to African Cultural Diplomacy is the African Culture House and Handicraft Market, which opened its doors to the public in 2016 as a result of the First Lady of the Republic of Türkiye Emine Erdoğan’s interest in and affinity for the local women and became an association in 2022. This study focuses on the activities conducted by the African Culture House and Handicraft Market within the context of first lady diplomacy by making use of the theory of “Public Diplomacy and Soft Power” that is developed by Joseph S. Nye Jr. The project is noteworthy as a successful one in terms of cultural diplomacy, being extremely original. It is led by a first lady from outside Africa with the aim of preserving the cultures on another continent, and it differentiates itself from conventional cultural diplomacy in this aspect.