Roma and Nationalism in Turkey
Roma and Nationalism in Turkey

Summary/Abstract: Currently, the Roma rights movement in Turkey is developing as a struggle for equal citizenship and not for minority rights. Many Romani activists involved in rights litigation or campaigning feel the need to stress that “they are not against the state, but merely looking for justice”. The concept of human rights is still alien to the majority of Turkey’s Roma and they feel uncomfortable when using the term, because they perceive it as contrary to the interests of the state. It is an unfortunate development that at this very early stage of Roma rights activism nationalist propaganda “the EU and ‘other foreign agents’ are aiming to destabilise Turkey by utilising human rights” render it exigent and intimidating for all activists. While the nationalist surge in Turkey might not be strong enough to drown the contemporary development of the Roma rights struggle, it is bound to stall and complicate the already rough road ahead, as well as´delay initiation of the crucial discussion of minority rights.

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