Role of Turkish Think Tanks in the State-Diaspora Relations: The Case of SETA and ORSAM

Résumé En

This paper provides a comprehensive framework to explain the policies Turkish think tanks have adopted for the development of Turkey-Turkish diaspora relationship in recent years. The purpose of this research is to identify the involvement and role of two of Turkey's leading think tanks, SETA and ORSAM, in state-diaspora relations. The sources of research are official statements and documents, academic publications and news sources. The research revealed that Turkey’s Diaspora policy is the result of a combination of domestic (governmental) and strategic actions. Domestically, the Justice and Development Party’s rise to power resulted in drastic political reforms and the promotion of the role of the Diaspora in domestic activities. Strategically, in recent years as the influence of think tanks in the Turkish domestic politics rose, they started to shape new Diaspora agendas. However, the research has shown that as the Turkish think tanks are relatively new actors in contemporary Turkish politics, they are still unable to play major roles in big political sectors such as the Diaspora. The research also showed that the type of the think tank also affects the level of independence and, therefore, the effect the think tank has on the issues concerning the Diaspora. Summing up the observation of some features of the Diaspora’s policy and the work done in a number of areas, the authors infer that the institutions involved in it are of a horizontal nature.