From Labor Mıgratıon To Lobbyıng: The Formatıon Of The Turkısh Dıaspora In Germany In Sıx Stages

In this study, focusing on the concept of diaspora, the transformation of the Turkish population in Germany over 63 years has been analyzed. The process, which began with guest labor, has changed and evolved approximately in ten-year intervals, eventually reaching the point of forming a diaspora. Initially, the Turkish community in Germany was merely labor immigrants or guest workers in specific, but over time, they experienced stages including labor migration, international migration, migration as the other in nationalism, somewhat marginalized migration, and finally, in the sixth stage, migration as actors of the diaspora. This study, supplemented by Turkish and foreign diaspora research as well as general literature, concludes that the Turks in Germany have evolved from a labor community 63 years ago into a social, economic, cultural, and political entity that has changed, developed, and strengthened. They have reached a position where they can engage in lobbying and ultimately form a diaspora.