
Beyond Turkey's Borders
Long-Distance Kemalism, State Politics and the Turkish Diaspora
Banu Senay(Author)
I.B. Tauris (Publisher)
Published on 30. January 2013
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-1-78076-087-2 (ISBN)
Description
In an increasingly connected world, the engagement of diasporic communities in transnationalism has become a potent force. Instead of pointing to a post-national era of globalised politics, as one might expect, Banu Senay argues that expanding global channels of communication have provided states with more scope to mobilise their nationals across borders. Her case is built around the way in which the long reach of the proactive Turkish state maintains relations with its Australian diaspora to promote the official Kemalist ideology. Activists invest themselves in the state to 'see' both for and like the state, and, as such, Turkish immigrants have been politicised and polarised along lines that reflect internal divisions and developments in Turkish politics. This book explores the way in which the Turkish state injects its presence into everyday life, through the work of its consular institutions, its management of Turkish Islam, and its sponsoring of national celebrations. The result is a state-engineered transnationalism that mobilises Turkish migrants and seeks to tie them to official discourse and policy.
Despite this, individual Kemalist activists, dissatisfied with the state's transnational work, have appointed themselves as the true 'cultural attaches' of the Turkish Republic. It is the actions and discourses of these activists that give efficacy to trans-Kemalism, in the unique migratory context of Australian multiculturalism. Vital to this engagement is its Australian backdrop - where ethnic diversity policies facilitate the nationalising initiatives of the Turkish state as well as the bottom-up activism of Ataturkists. On the other hand, it also complicates and challenges trans-Kemalism by giving a platform to groups such as Kurds or Armenians whose identity politics clash with that of Turkish officialdom. An original and insightful contribution on the scope of transnationalism and cross-border mobilisation,this book is a valuable resource for researchers of politics, nationalism and international migration.
Despite this, individual Kemalist activists, dissatisfied with the state's transnational work, have appointed themselves as the true 'cultural attaches' of the Turkish Republic. It is the actions and discourses of these activists that give efficacy to trans-Kemalism, in the unique migratory context of Australian multiculturalism. Vital to this engagement is its Australian backdrop - where ethnic diversity policies facilitate the nationalising initiatives of the Turkish state as well as the bottom-up activism of Ataturkists. On the other hand, it also complicates and challenges trans-Kemalism by giving a platform to groups such as Kurds or Armenians whose identity politics clash with that of Turkish officialdom. An original and insightful contribution on the scope of transnationalism and cross-border mobilisation,this book is a valuable resource for researchers of politics, nationalism and international migration.
Reviews / Votes
'This book is a well-written, elegantly argued, theoretically interesting contribution to debates about long-distance nationalism. Particularly intriguing is how the Turkish state uses Islam to promote nationalist goals which are primarily secular in nature.' Peggy Levitt, Professor of Sociology at Wellesley College, Co-Director of The Transnational Studies Initiative at Harvard University and author of God Needs No Passport (2009) ' An important ethnographic contribution to the study of long-distance nationalism as a top-down project of the state of origin, rather than the usual emphasis on the bottom-up project of the immigrant diaspora - This study of the Turkish diaspora and its relationship to the Kemalist state contributes important theoretical insights into migration, ethnicity,long-distance nationalism, state transnationalism, multiculturalism and diaspora politics. It will be of interest to a wide range of scholars interested in migration, ethnicity, transnationalism and multiculturalism.' Michael Humphrey, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney.More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Laminated cover
Illustrations
30 integrated bw
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
651 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78076-087-2 (9781780760872)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
12/2012
1st Edition
I.B. Tauris
€155.99
Available for download

E-Book
12/2012
1st Edition
I.B. Tauris
€155.99
Available for download
Person
Banu Senay is a Macarthur Research Fellow of Anthropology at the University of Melbourne and holds a PhD in Anthropology from Macquarie University, Sydney
Content
List of Illustrations
Preface and Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part One: History of Migration, Migration of Histories
1. Turkish Migration to Australia: The Story So Far
2. A Political History of the 'Apolitical' Migrant: From the 1970s Onwards
Part Two: Seeing like a State
3. With Kind Regards, From the Consulate-General of Turkey
4. Nationalising Islam, Sacralising the Republic
Part Three: Seeing for the State
5. Cultural Attaches
6. Singing for the State
Part Four: Dual National Projects
7. Multicultural Policy and Trans-Kemalism in Australia
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Preface and Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part One: History of Migration, Migration of Histories
1. Turkish Migration to Australia: The Story So Far
2. A Political History of the 'Apolitical' Migrant: From the 1970s Onwards
Part Two: Seeing like a State
3. With Kind Regards, From the Consulate-General of Turkey
4. Nationalising Islam, Sacralising the Republic
Part Three: Seeing for the State
5. Cultural Attaches
6. Singing for the State
Part Four: Dual National Projects
7. Multicultural Policy and Trans-Kemalism in Australia
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index