YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia is pleased to announce the publication of a chapter on Turkey’s diaspora policy authored by Dr. Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, in the Routledge Handbook of Asian Diaspora and Nationalism. The chapter is available in open access.
Titled “Engagement with Expectations: Institutionalization and Challenges of Turkey’s Diaspora Policy,” Dr. Ter-Matevosyan’s chapter examines how the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which won the parliamentary elections in 2002 and has ruled the country ever since, has transformed Turkey’s diaspora policies.
Under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the ruling party has introduced innovative and institutionalized approaches to diaspora governance. The chapter analyzes the political and strategic drivers behind the ruling party’s engagement with the diaspora and assesses the foreign and domestic policy implications of this engagement. It argues that the AKP’s revised approach intended to advance Turkey’s strategic interests in the host countries by using diaspora resources under the watchful gaze of the Turkish state institutions.
Reflecting on the publication, Dr. Ter-Matevosyan noted: “This research helps us comprehend and contextualize the invisible aspects of Turkey’s assertive foreign policy. The ruling party’s focus on, and instrumentalization of, Turkey’s diaspora also demonstrates the domestic implications of various policy initiatives. This research is carried out within a 5-year research project titled “Synthesis of Islam and Nationalism in Armenia’s neighboring countries: transformations of identity and politics,” funded by the Science Committee of Armenia.”
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.