What is it about?
The matter of diaspora voting has been increasingly a topic of debate. More than 150 countries presently allow their diasporas to participate in elections, including Türkiye. This study aims to shed light on this topic by addressing the perceptions of domestic voters towards the Turkish diaspora voting in Türkiye’s elections. The data is based on a fieldwork study conducted in all 81 cities of Türkiye, with a total of 405 people interviewed after the May 2023 elections. The findings reveal that domestic voters’ approaches to diaspora voting are divided into three categories: support, conditional support and opposition. Whereas a few interviewees conditionally supported diaspora voting and some expressed full support, most opposed it, for several reasons, which are categorised in this study into seven distinct codes: residence, effect, conditions, interests, citizenship, tax and unfair.
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Why is it important?
The Turkish diaspora’s electoral participation has received increasing scholarly attention since 2012. This literature examines various dimensions, including the participation of the Turkish diaspora in national elections, revealing factors that motivate their voting behaviour. However, the existing literature largely overlooks the perceptions of domestic voters, who play a critical role as subjects of and stakeholders in electoral processes. It therefore presents a gap in addressing domestic viewpoints towards diaspora voting. This study sheds new light on the voting literature by questioning the domestic voters’ perception on diaspora voting. What nuanced views emerged from this analysis on domestic voters’ perceptions towards diaspora voting? The interviews conducted across Türkiye revealed three prevailing perceptions: supporting, conditionally supporting and opposing diaspora voting. Of these, the most domestic voters opposed diaspora voting. additionally, this study ultimately posits that domestic voters have discriminatory attitudes towards diaspora voters. This situation necessitates a shift from mere awareness-raising efforts to addressing the root causes of this discrimination.
Perspectives
This study holds significance for several reasons. Primarily, there is a notable absence of academic data in existing literature concerning the perceptions of Turkish voters residing in Türkiye towards the voting behavior of the Turkish diaspora. Furthermore, no studies outside of academic discourse have explored this phenomenon. Concurrently, there is a growing sentiment of reaction and exclusion against the Turkish diaspora within Türkiye. This current research, by examining political participation, sheds light on domestic voters' perceptions regarding diaspora voters' participation in Turkish elections. In doing so, it offers a fresh perspective, contributes to filling a gap in the literature, and draws attention to this critical issue.
Derya Canpolat
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This page is a summary of: Perceptions of Domestic Voters towards Diaspora Voting, Diaspora Studies, May 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/09763457-bja10169.
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