ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 discusses how the Turkish state’s policies for engaging emigrant populations in the post-2000 period have been put into practice in France and the United States and what have been the outcomes of these policies in terms of the relations between the migrant populations and the home state. The evidence shows first that the changes in the Turkish state’s policies on non-resident citizens have been coupled with a broadening of the state’s dialogue with the citizens and the civil society actors. While this broadening has been effective on the state’s relations with all its citizens as individuals, its reflections on state–civil society relations have particularly affected the relations with those of Islamist and nationalist tradition, as compatible with the AKP government’s own political orientation. Second, the new emigration regime aimed for non-resident Turkish citizens to become active citizens both in the host country and related to the home country matters. In the field of local politics, the 2000s have seen the increase in the emigrants’ participation both as electorate and as political candidates. Nevertheless, the ostensible support by the home country institutions and the participation in the politics for the benefit of the Turkish community, rather than the general population, has met with criticisms on communitarianism. Third, the issue of enfranchisement opened up new channels of institutional dialogue between the state and the emigrants’ associations, via the roof of the political parties from Turkey. Although the implementation of this citizenship right has been met with support from a significant part of the emigrant populations, it did not result in full commitment vis-à-vis the political party that implemented it, especially as a result of the rising politicization both in support and opposition to the current Turkish government.
