Sunday, March 17, 2013

Euro-Turks & Migrant Websites



I found the website tete de Turc which is created by Franco-Turks in France. Their main objective is to change the negative image of Turks and Turkey. They claim that French media is biased and do not provide much information about Turkish news. In that sense, they try to provide some information. Their main focus is political not cultural. In the Kaya & Kentel's article, writers mention about the ignorance of Franco- Turks toward the political issues in Turkey. I think this site forms an anti-thesis to the argument about the ignorance   of Franco- Turks on political issues.  The site focuses on Armenian question, PKK- the Kurdish issue, problems with Greeks etc ... Since the Armenian issue is a hot topic in France, they take attention by showing the Turkish side of the problem. (like ASALA 's massacre) 

Thanks to the site they find a space to express their views towards some issues. May be they do not express themselves within the community concretely and they feel themselves much more secure. They have created a community through the site.

Unlike le tete de Turc, the site blue blanc turc gives much more cultural and geographical information about Turkey. Its main goal is to introduce Turkey and its people in order to eliminate the prejudice against them. The Turkish minority in Turkey is more prone to protect their culture and religion. Despite French assimilationism, Franco-Turks are much more protectionist. (they have stronger religious and cultural affiliations.) There are lots of wrong perceptions or prejudices against Franco-Turks both from French and Turks. The major Turkish stereotypes about Euro-Turks are those of their being rich, eating pork, having a very comfortable life in Germany/France, losing their Turkishness and becoming more and more German/French.(Kaya & Kentel , 2005) However, it does not reflect the real picture as we realize from the websites and Euro- Turks data analysis. Turks see the migrants as in between, German-like,degenerated, conservative, radical, lost generations while French or German population see them as guest worker, foreigner, co-citizen. So these migrants do not feel belonging to anywhere. In that sense, I think these sites are very useful for migrants who share the same feelings with their counterparts. 


Reference:
Kaya. A., & Kentel, F. (2005). Euro-turks: a bridge or a breach between turkey and the european union?.



2 comments:

  1. This is really cool and much needed to change the view of Turkish people around Europe.

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  2. I totally agree! National media in foreign countries also consolidate the prejudice rather than eliminate it. These type of websites may be useful while creating recognition.

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