Transnational Turkey: the everyday transnationalism and diversity of Turkish populations in Europe
This chapter surveys the social transnationalism of the hugely diverse Turkish populations to be found in five of the EU member states in the EUCROSS study. It provides a portrait of a nationality well recognised as the most transnational in the continent, despite not enjoying the privilege of EU citizenship. The chapter stresses the internal heterogeneity of the population: Turkish nationals in different locations need careful distinguishing in terms of ethnicity – notably our samples of ethnic Turks and Kurds – socioeconomic status, religion and politics. Older stereotypes based on low-end ‘guest worker migration’ and linear models of immigration and integration no longer apply easily to the Turkish in Europe. Combining quantitative and qualitative data, the chapter surveys the social transnationalism which anchors Turkey in Europe, and then goes on to explore the political transnationalism of Turks revealed by their varying stances towards the Gezi Park protests of 2013, which took place as fieldwork was being conducted.