Insights from Peace and Conflict Research

Emergence and Aftermath of Proactive Transnational Politics in Turkey: A Case Study of Ethno-Religious Diasporic Communities

The literature on diaspora governance suggests that Turkey has become increasingly engaged with its diasporic communities. However, beyond voting behaviour, the impact of this policy shift on everyday life and identity expressions of post-migrants remains limited. In this paper, we examine ethnonational identifications among Turkish post-migrants across religious and nationalist communities, focusing on proximities and overlaps in identity expressions. Our findings show that identities are becoming increasingly essentialised and that the importance of culture is being revitalised in transna-tional spaces. The study was conducted in a mid-sized city in North Rhine–Westphalia, Germany. Eth-nographic observations and indepth interviews were employed to analyse the identity expressions of Turkish ethno-religious communities (e.g. the ‘Grey Wolves’ and DITIB Mosque).

Biographical Notes
Dr. Aydın Bayad is a social psychologist whose research focuses on dual identi-fication among post-migrants in Germany. His recent work revolves around the political socialisation of minorities, their perspectives on social cohesion, and the prospects for inter-minority solidarity in Europe.

Navigating the Peace Process in Turkey: Challenges and Opportunities from a Conflict Resolution Perspective

Another round of the peace process between the Turkish government and the armed group PKK began in October 2024, following calls by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The call was later supported by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and gained momentum when PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan announced a unilateral ceasefire in February 2025. Undoubtedly, during a period in which the Turkish government increasingly intensified its security-oriented approach to the Kurdish issue following the end of the previous peace process in 2015, the initiation of a new round of negotiations was unexpected even for those closely following the Kurdish political movement and Turkish politics. After the collapse of the previous peace process, the conflict spread to urban areas, with the government imposing curfews lasting several weeks and resulting in serious human rights violations. The Kurdish political movement in Turkey continuously faced sustained political and legal pressures, including the lifting of parliamentary immunities, the arrests of prominent politicians, and the appointment of state trustees (kayyums) to replace elected Kurdish mayors, particularly with the emergence of the de facto AKP–MHP coalition in 2016 and its formal institutionalisation as the People’s Alliance in 2018. While the 2024 process is still ongoing and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey recently approved a comprehensive report aimed at advancing the peace process with the PKK, both the content of the report and the ongoing challenges highlight potential obstacles and uncertainties regarding the future trajectory of the process. This lecture examines the peace process in Turkey from a conflict resolution perspective, drawing on academic literature that analyses peace processes comparatively. It addresses questions widely debated in public discourse, such as whether a peace process can succeed without a functioning democracy, the importance of economic conditions, the role of legal reforms on disarmament, and the relevance of guar-antors in sustaining peace negotiations. Additionally, it discusses key considerations following a peace agreement and the requirements for the long-term implementation of the process. It aims to discuss recent developments in a comparative manner, helping us understand what to expect and how the process can be grounded on more solid foun-dations.

Biographical Notes
Dr. Sinem Arslan is a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. She holds two master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and Boğaziçi University and completed her PhD at the University of Essex on the transnational dynamics of civil war peace processes. Her areas of expertise include civil wars and comparative peace processes, with a special emphasis on secessionist conflicts and the de facto states that emerge in their aftermath. Using qualitative, quantitative, and GIS mapping tech-niques, her research investigates the dynamics of political violence and peace processes comparatively. To date, she has taught various modules on civil war dynamics, conflict, and peace processes, as well as on de facto states, and has been involved in numerous peacebuild-ing and peace education projects in the Middle East and Africa. Her recent research project, supported by the Norwegian Research Coun-cil, investigates patron–client relations in de facto states and their implications for peace processes. The study combined a population survey of 1,000 respondents with 70 in-depth interviews with high-level politicians and informed policy discussions with stakeholders, including the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus, the UN Good Offices Mission in Cyprus, and Turkish and Cypriot policymakers. The findings, currently being developed into a book manuscript, directly shaped the policy positions adopted by Turkey’s main opposition party.

Admission

Admission only after prior registration and subject to organiser approval!

The organisers reserve the right to restrict participation to registered individuals. Persons who are members of far-right extremist parties or organisations, who can be identified as part of the far-right extremist scene, or who have previously made racist, nationalist, antisemitic, or otherwise dehumanising statements are excluded from the event.

Participation is free of charge. Registration is required for each event individually . Please register at least 3 days before the events you are interested in by emailing: projekt-retra@oth-regensburg.de.
After organiser approval, you will receive confirmation email as well as the video conference link shortly before the event.

Content Note

This lecture series addresses topics such as racism, political violence, antisemitism, and far-right extremism. Some content may be distressing.