Atahan Demirel

Atahan Demirel is a policy advisor, researcher, and writer working at the intersection of public policy, inequality, migration, and anti-discrimination. He currently works as a policy advisor in the Berlin House of Representatives, where his work focuses on anti-discrimination, diversity, and public finance. 

He holds an MSc from the University of Oxford as well as an MSc and BSc from the University of Vienna. His previous professional experience includes positions at the Türkische Gemeinde Deutschland, the Statistical Office of Baden-Württemberg, and European Parliament. 

As a practice fellow at Goethe University Frankfurt, he conducted research on the experiences of queer Muslims in Germany. He has also written on questions of migration, inequality, and social policy for German media. His broader interests include Europe-Turkey relations, diaspora politics, social inequality, and the political participation of people with migration backgrounds. 

Beyond Diplomacy: Diaspora, Digital Publics and Civil Society in EU–Turkey Relations

Germany is home to one of the largest Turkish-origin communities outside Turkey, shaped by more than six decades of migration and increasingly diverse experiences of identity and belonging. At the same time, political debates in both Germany and Turkey continue to influence how members of the diaspora understand their relationship to both countries. 

The project explores how these dynamics are changing across generations and how political participation is shaped by questions of citizenship, social inequality, discrimination, and transnational ties.  It will pay particular attention to people whose experiences challenge simplified notions of a homogeneous “Turkish diaspora,”, including younger generations and people navigating multiple social and political identities.  

By connecting perspectives from Germany and Turkey, the project aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of diaspora politics and its role in contemporary Germany–Turkey relations.