Between Gaps And Backlashes: $$b Unpacking Türkiye’sMigration Governance And Domestic Implications

Türkiye has long served as a country of emigration, transit, and increasingly immigration,positioning it at the centre of regional migration governance. From hostingdisplaced populations in the early republican era to acting as a buffer zone duringthe Syrian refugee crisis, Türkiye has functioned both as a place of refuge and astrategic partner in migration management.This dissertation develops a two-level theoretical framework in which anti-immigrantparties seek to elevate the political visibility of migration, while governing partiesadopt selective restrictions to ease local pressures without altering their ideologicalstance. It traces four transformations in Türkiye’s migration governance since the2010s: legislative activity, institutionalisation, politicisation, and securitisation.Empirically, Chapter 3 examines the government’s dispersal policy using a differencein-differences design, showing that restrictions on immigrant settlement reducerental prices but do not erode support for the incumbent AKP. Chapter 4 appliesspatial voting models to national survey data, finding that incumbent voters discountPresident Erdoğan’s migration stance, whereas opposition voters reward restrictivealternatives.Overall, the findings reveal widespread anti-immigrant sentiment across party lines,shaped by fragmented governance that strains local communities but generates onlylimited electoral backlash. The study contributes to debates on restrictive migrationpolicies, their domestic political consequences, and partisan dynamics in host states.