DECONSTRUCTING TURKISH PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS REFUGEES: EMPOWERING RIGHTS OVER POLITICIZATION AND SELF-GRATIFICATION
DECONSTRUCTING TURKISH PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS REFUGEES: EMPOWERING RIGHTS OVER POLITICIZATION AND SELF-GRATIFICATION

Summary/Abstract: This article looks at Turkish public attitudes towards refugees, especially as it unfolds in the context of the most recent refugee crisis of over a million Syrian refugees coming into Turkey since June 2011. Analyzing available survey and personal interview data, as well as the literature on the topic, this article finds that the Turkish public tends to confuse categories of immigrants (in particular economic migrants and refugees) and has not developed strong feelings towards refugees one way or the other; the Turkish public also tends to self-gratify itself and believe that “Turkish hospitability” is a reality even though the empirical evidence is more mixed. Additionally, this article finds that the issue of refugees in Turkey tends to be underpoliticized, although it has become over-politicized over the issue of Syrian refugees, along the lines of Turkish political polarization. Accordingly, this article suggests that there is an opportunity and increasingly urgency to shape public opinion on refugees in Turkey by raising awareness and the level of knowledge on the issue, but also, more importantly, by deconstructing constructively the impression that Turkey is benevolent towards refugees, by accompanying and shaping positively the politicization of the issue, and re-centering the discourse on the rights of refugees and individual accountability of securing such rights.

• Details
• Contents