The 2023 Elections and migration debate in Turkey

Source:Heinrich Böll Stiftung Date:07Nov2023

For the afficianados

The 2023 elections in Turkey witnessed a heightened political competition over the issue of migration. As economic challenges and concerns over the foreign population grew, political parties found themselves vying for public support by adopting distinct stances on immigration. This competition was particularly evident in the shift towards more anti-immigrant positions by several major parties, except for the HDP, which consistently maintained a pro-immigrant stance. The emergence of the anti-immigrant ZP party further intensified the discourse. In this electoral environment, migration policies, especially those related to Syrian refugees, became a central theme in campaign rhetoric. Parties competed not only in offering solutions to the complex challenges posed by immigration but also in framing the issue to appeal to different segments of the electorate. The 2023 elections thus underscored how migration has become a critical and contentious battleground in Turkish politics, reflecting growing nationalist and nativist sentiments among the electorate