Türkiye: Home State Reimagined
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
12-4-2024
Department 1
Political Science
Abstract
According to Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are approximately 6.5 million Turkish people living abroad. With national communities in more than seventy nations, the Turkish diaspora has a global reach. This chapter examines Türkiye’s relations with its national communities abroad. Over the decades, Türkiye reimagined its relationship with its citizens abroad, which in turn allowed national communities abroad to reimagine their home state. In the early years of labor migration, Türkiye focused on economic benefits such as remittances. Later on, Ankara noticed the public policy potential of national communities living abroad. With widening diplomatic support and an increase in selective cultural engagement, Türkiye expanded its reach to overseas communities. While diplomatic services benefited all, some forms of cultural support targeted conservative populations. Domestic security concerns also led to an interest in understanding the political leanings of the diaspora.
Copyright Note
ⓒ Cambridge University Press 2025
DOI
10.1017/9781009531986
ISBN/ISSN
9781009531986
Recommended Citation
Akbaba, Yasemin. “Türkiye: Home State Reimagined.” In States and Their Nationals Abroad, ed. by Klaus Brummer and Sumit Ganguly. Cambridge University Press, 2024.