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

The research paper analyzes the 'ambivalent' nature of Turkey-Bulgaria relations, focusing on the AKP's use of the Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs) and other soft power tools to influence Bulgarian Muslims. It details the shift from a coalition between the AKP and the Gülen Movement to an all-out conflict, the exportation of this domestic struggle into Bulgaria, and Turkey's attempts to influence the Bulgarian political arena through parties like DOST. The author argues that Turkey's approach is based on an 'Ottoman legacy' imaginary that often clashes with Bulgarian perceptions of sovereignty and EU membership.

• Turkey utilizes the Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs) as a diplomatic and political tool in Bulgaria, providing financial support to the Bulgarian Chief Muftiate and appointing imams and attachés who function as representatives of the Turkish state.
• The relationship between the AKP government and the Gülen Movement shifted from an 'unofficial coalition' that expanded Turkish influence in the Balkans to a conflict that was exported to Bulgaria, resulting in the removal of Gülenist staff from religious institutions and the repatriation of over 70 Gülenists by the Bulgarian government after the 2016 coup attempt.
• Bulgaria has resisted the establishment of official branch offices for TưKA and the Yunus Emre Institute, with Bulgarian authorities viewing these institutions as 'highly political' and potentially divisive based on religion and ethnicity.
• Turkey has attempted to influence the Bulgarian political landscape by supporting parties that align with the AKP, such as the Democrats for Responsibility, Solidarity and Tolerance (DOST), leading to diplomatic tensions and the declaration of Diyanet officials as 'persona non grata' in 2016.
• The author characterizes Turkey's Balkan policy as being driven by a 'southeast Europe imaginary' based on a selective interpretation of the Ottoman legacy, which leads Ankara to view regional Muslims as natural interlocutors and justifies intervention in domestic politics.

APA

Peace Research Institute Oslo (2019). Kinship and Disporas in Turkish Foreign Policy: Examples from Europe, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. https://files.prio.org/Publication_files/Cyprus/KinshipsAndDiasporas/CHAPTER%202%20The%20Ambivalent%20Nature%20of%20the%20Relations%20between%20Bulgaria%20and%20Turkey%20in%20the%20New%20Millennium%20by%20Ahmet%20Erdi%20%C3%96zt%C3%BCrk.pdf

Chicago

Peace Research Institute Oslo. Kinship and Disporas in Turkish Foreign Policy: Examples from Europe, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. 2019. https://files.prio.org/Publication_files/Cyprus/KinshipsAndDiasporas/CHAPTER%202%20The%20Ambivalent%20Nature%20of%20the%20Relations%20between%20Bulgaria%20and%20Turkey%20in%20the%20New%20Millennium%20by%20Ahmet%20Erdi%20%C3%96zt%C3%BCrk.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Peace Research Institute Oslo |title=Kinship and Disporas in Turkish Foreign Policy: Examples from Europe, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean |date=2019 |url=https://files.prio.org/Publication_files/Cyprus/KinshipsAndDiasporas/CHAPTER%202%20The%20Ambivalent%20Nature%20of%20the%20Relations%20between%20Bulgaria%20and%20Turkey%20in%20the%20New%20Millennium%20by%20Ahmet%20Erdi%20%C3%96zt%C3%BCrk.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{peaceresearchinstituteoslo2019kinship, author = {{Peace Research Institute Oslo}}, title = {{Kinship and Disporas 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%202%20The%20Ambivalent%20Nature%20of%20the%20Relations%20between%20Bulgaria%20and%20Turkey%20in%20the%20New%20Millennium%20by%20Ahmet%20Erdi%20%C3%96zt%C3%BCrk.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }