Kinship and Diasporas in Turkish Foreign Policy: Examples from Europe, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean

The document outlines how Turkey, under the AKP, has shifted its foreign policy to emphasize historical, cultural, and religious links with 'kin communities' (akraba topluluklar) across Europe, the Middle East, and the Eastern Mediterranean. It defines the conceptual overlap between diaspora and kin-politics and describes the transition from a racial-ethnic national identity to an 'Islamic-Turkish synthesis' that views Turkey as a 'core country' for the global Muslim community (ummah). The text introduces case studies on Bulgaria, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Cyprus, and Palestine to analyze how this policy of 'spiritual boundaries' affects host countries and the communities themselves.

• Since 2002, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has shifted Turkish foreign policy to be more dynamic and ideologically driven, utilizing 'soft power' and historical links to influence minorities and countries in Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East.
• The AKP has promoted an 'Islamic-Turkish synthesis' that associates the Turkish nation with the global Muslim community (ummah), moving away from the secular-republican identity established by Mustafa Kemal.
• Turkey's concept of 'kin communities' (akraba topluluklar) has expanded beyond ethnic Turks to include Muslims generally, particularly those in post-Ottoman territories, based on the idea of 'spiritual boundaries' that transcend physical borders.
• The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Kin Communities (YTB) was established by the AKP to coordinate services and build an institutional infrastructure for the Turkish diaspora and related communities globally.
• The Diyanet (Directory of Religious Affairs) has been transformed from a protector of state secularism into a tool for spreading Turkish nationalism and Islamic moral values internationally.
• Turkey's kin-politics can be instrumentalized for 'national agendas,' which may include attempting to influence the domestic or foreign policies of host countries.

APA

Tziarras, Z. (2019). Kinship and Diasporas in Turkish Foreign Policy: Examples from Europe, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://files.prio.org/Publication_files/Cyprus/KinshipsAndDiasporas/CHAPTER%201%20Introduction%20by%20Zenonas%20Tziarras.pdf

Chicago

Tziarras, Zenonas. Kinship and Diasporas in Turkish Foreign Policy: Examples from Europe, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2019. https://files.prio.org/Publication_files/Cyprus/KinshipsAndDiasporas/CHAPTER%201%20Introduction%20by%20Zenonas%20Tziarras.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tziarras |first1=Zenonas |title=Kinship and Diasporas in Turkish Foreign Policy: Examples from Europe, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2019 |url=https://files.prio.org/Publication_files/Cyprus/KinshipsAndDiasporas/CHAPTER%201%20Introduction%20by%20Zenonas%20Tziarras.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tziarras2019kinship, author = {Tziarras, Zenonas}, title = {{Kinship and Diasporas in Turkish Foreign Policy: Examples from Europe, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2019}, url = {https://files.prio.org/Publication_files/Cyprus/KinshipsAndDiasporas/CHAPTER%201%20Introduction%20by%20Zenonas%20Tziarras.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }