Framing Syrian refugees in Turkish politics: a qualitative analysis on party group speeches

Abstract

Asylum is at the core of political discussions in Turkey. The country has rapidly turned into the world’s largest host state in less than a decade, despite a long tradition of excluding non-Western refugees. Existing studies shed light upon the government’s policy choices, which have fluctuated between a generous welcome and a hasty restriction. However, despite declining electoral support towards Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), few studies examine how other political parties approach Syrian refugees. How do different political parties in Turkey frame Syrian refugees and what are the reasons behind alternative framings? A qualitative content analysis on party group speeches between 2011 and 2019 is conducted to answer this research question. Findings indicate that political identities are significant in shaping refugee governance more so than well-established policy choices on the subject matter. Political identities have led to different framings on Syrian refugees by Islamic Neo-Ottomans and secular modernizers, on the one hand, and by Turkish and Kurdish nationalists, on the other. Yet, identity-related explanations also have their limits. The AKP’s Neo-Ottoman embracing of Muslim brothers from former Ottoman territories have faded with changes in the domestic and international context since 2016. The Turkish nationalists, in contrast, toned down their opposition after aligning with the ruling AKP within the new presidential regime introduced in 2018.