(In)Compatible Transnational Lives and National Laws: The Case of German Citizens in Turkey

Executive Summary

Turkey has long been characterized as a country of emigration due to the large-scale migration of Turkish workers to Western Europe beginning in the 1960s. However, Turkey has also increasingly become a country of immigration in recent years. In fact, migration to Turkey is not a new phenomenon: migration movements had occurred during the Ottoman period and in the immediate years following the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. Yet, it must be stressed that these migratory movements differ both in terms of nature and scale.

While former migration movements to Turkey consisted mainly of migrants of Turkish ethnicity from neighboring countries, recent migration to Turkey has become much more diverse. Located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and the European Union (EU), Turkey now faces various migration flows, including transit migrants, irregular immigrant workers, high-skilled personnel, asylum seekers, and refugees from different countries.

Among these migrant groups are also German citizens who have settled in Turkey for various reasons. Due to these new migration flows and the EU harmonization process, Turkey has been required to adapt its migration legislation. In this context, Turkey has entered into a significant reform process in recent years, resulting in many fundamental legal amendments regarding the status of foreigners in Turkey.

The Law on Work Permits for Foreigners (Law No. 4817) and the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (Law No. 6458) are of particular importance regarding foreigners’ legal participation opportunities in Turkey. Based on the empirical findings of the Mercator-IPC Fellowship, this report investigates the possibilities of German citizens’ legal membership on the “Turkish side” of the transnational German-Turkish space from the migrant’s perspective.

In doing so, this report also reflects upon some general characteristics of Turkish migration policy and examines the legal framework shaping the participation of foreigners in Turkey.