Abstract
Turkish political parties navigate a complex landscape of diversity with the presence of over 3.6 million Syrian refugees in the country. This paper explores how they address this challenge, particularly in the lead-up to the 2023 general election. Previous research on the ideological positions of political parties suggests a tendency for right-wing parties to adopt a more critical stance on immigrants and immigration-related matters compared to their left-wing and liberal-centrist counterparts. However, within the Turkish context, we anticipate a unique stance from the ruling conservative and right-leaning Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP), projecting a non-exclusionary, pro-immigrant position. This expectation stems from the AKP’s rhetoric, which frequently underscores “co-religiosity and brotherhood discourse”. This study investigates whether this expectation holds true by analyzing debates held in the Turkish Grand National Assembly between October 2022 and April 2023. Focusing on the number of speeches and their content, we examine how deputies engage with the refugee issue. Specifically, we analyze the perspectives expressed towards Syrians (positive, negative, neutral), and the framing used (economic, religious, humanitarian, security). Additionally, we control for factors like party performance, deputy demographics, and seniority, known to influence legislative discourse. This research addresses the evolving landscape of diversity and inclusion within the Turkish political sphere, particularly concerning the Syrian refugee crisis.
Presenters
Cigdem Kentmen CinProfessor of Political Science, Sustainable Energy, Izmir University of Economics, Turkey
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Community Diversity and Governance
KEYWORDS
Parties, Syrians, Refugees, Brotherhood, Turkey
