MACARİSTAN’DA POPÜLİST SÖYLEM: TÜRK GÖÇMENLERİN DENEYİMLERİ
POPULIST RHETORIC IN HUNGARY: EXPERIENCES OF TURKISH IMMIGRANTS

Summary/Abstract: In an era of increasing populism across Europe, antiimmigrant and exclusionary rhetoric and policies have become widespread. This research studies Turkish migrants in Hungary to assess the extent to which Hungary’s populist turn has affected their experiences as immigrants. Turkish immigrants have been studied extensively across Europe, yet Hungary’s small but increasing Turkish population has been little observed. As a member of the EU, Hungary is caught between liberal European values and illiberal, populist politics. Exclusionary rhetoric, particularly targeting Muslims, is expected to reflect on how Turks evaluate their everyday experiences as migrants. The research is based on 20 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Turks in Hungary. Findings point to positive rather than negative experiences. One reason presented by the interviewees themselves is the particular profile of Turks in Hungary and their relatively smaller presence, making them less of a target. Second, they claim that social and cultural commonalities between Hungarians and Turks support generally positive attitudes towards Turks. Third, close political relations between Turkey and Hungary lead to agreeable relations between Turks and Hungarians. Turks in Hungary emerge as a distinct immigrant group whose members claim they are not negatively affected or disadvantaged by Orbán’s illiberal populist rhetoric.

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