The Discursive Governance of Forced-Migration Management: The Turkish Shift from Reticence to Activism in Asia

Abstract

This article shows how similar humanitarian narratives of states can travel across different geographies in response to refugee crises. Empirically, it follows Turkey's position vis-à-vis the Syrian and Rohingya refugee crises. Considering Turkey's migration management practices, humanitarian activism narrative, and its political ambition to foster domestic and international audiences for this narrative, this article elaborates on how Turkey has become a humanitarian actor responding both to Syrian and the Rohingya crises. In both cases, the Turkish political discourses have been very resonant of each other, despite Syria and Myanmar being in different geographies and proximities to Turkey. The article also shows how Turkish politicians and the civil servants aspired to enhance visibility and credibility of Turkey as a humanitarian actor. Delineating Turkey's humanitarian narrative shows the role of political agency in forging sympathetic domestic and international audiences. Overall, the Turkish case presents how states operate migration regimes at the cusp of discourses and institutions affecting their forced migration management and humanitarian engagements.

Contesting cosmopolitan Europe: Euroscepticism, crisis and borders

“…Therefore, we argue that humanitarian rhetoric served domestic purposes either alongside or beyond how they responded to the needs of refugees. While the Turkish political elite took pride in Turkey's generosity towards the Syrian refugees, they also insisted that this was thanks to Turkey's centuries-long humanitarian tradition (Korkut, 2018). While Turkey was hosting Syrians, they claimed, the EU was building walls, remaining unresponsive, and ultimately failing to meet its humanitarian obligations.…”

Sending “our brothers” back “home”: Continuity and change in President Erdoğan’s discourse on Syrian refugees

“…The first theme concerns how JDP leaders have sought to establish a fraternal bond between Turkish citizens and Syrian refugees through their remarks about the shared history and religion between the two communities. Previous studies on this theme pay particular attention to the ensar - muhacir (ansar-muhajir) analogy, which not only justifies the government’s asylum policies on religious grounds but also reaffirms the centrality of Islam to Turkish national identity (Devran and Özcan 2016, 43–44; Karakaya Polat 2018, 505–506; Kloos 2016, 546–548; Korkut 2019, 670; Morgül 2022, 15–16; Özdemir Taştan and Çoban Keneş 2019, 12–13). The second theme, on the other hand, concerns JDP leaders’ repeated references to the alleged Ottoman tradition of giving shelter and protection to the oppressed regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds (Devran and Özcan 2016, 46; Karakaya Polat 2018, 506; Morgül 2022, 13).…”

“…Some scholars suggest that this narrative has allowed the JDP government to couch its neo-Ottomanist foreign policy in humanitarian terms (Özdora Akşak 2020). Others argue that it has also represented Turkey as an emerging global power, thus appealing to the nostalgia for Ottoman greatness among conservative and nationalist voters (İçduygu et al 2017, 459; Karakaya Polat 2018, 507; Korkut 2019, 667–668).…”

“…To discredit the domestic opposition, JDP representatives have employed a populist language, portraying criticisms of Ankara’s refugee policies as a reflection of traditional political elites’ alienation from the Turkish people’s historical and religious traditions (Aydemir 2023, 666; Karakaya Polat 2018, 510–511; Morgül 2022, 18–19). At the same time, JDP leaders have targeted their European and American counterparts via a civilizationist language, one that contrasts the purported benevolence of Turkey’s Ottoman–Islamic heritage with the West’s deep-rooted racism and xenophobia toward international migrants (Balkılıç and Teke Lloyd 2021, 365–368; Karakaya Polat 2018, 507–510; Korkut 2019, 675–676; Morgül 2022, 19–20; Yanaşmayan et al 2019, 47).…”

The Effect of Values-Based Leadership Perception on Justice; A Study in a Public Foundation

“…Birçok araştırmacı, personellerin birbirine karşı güvenin, çalışanın iş yerindeki personellerin bilgi ve kabiliyetlerine, eylemlerinin etik-adil davranış sergilemelerine ve verdikleri sözlere sadık kalmasına bağlı olduğunu ifade etmektedir (Korkut, 2019;Koyutürk, 2015). Örgütsel güven, çalışma arkadaşlarına, kuruma ve yöneticiye güvenin birleşiminden oluşmaktadır (Nal, Bektaş & Kaya, 2020).…”