Türkiye has evolved into a regional power. The activities of both state institutions and civil society organizations in the country are increasing daily. On the one hand, there are initiatives related to Palestine; on the other, efforts focused on migration and the diaspora feature prominently on the agendas of ministries. Almost every day, public bodies and state institutions in the Republic of Türkiye hold meetings devoted to various regional issues.
Last week, a highly significant event was held in the capital Ankara. The Migration and Diaspora Foundation organized a summit to discuss, on a multi-stakeholder platform, the academic, strategic and civil diplomacy efforts it conducts at national and international levels in the fields of migration and diaspora.
At the summit, diaspora representatives from Palestine, Iraq and Syria, along with experts and academics, carried out work through simultaneous contributions at five separate roundtables formed to address different dimensions of the phenomenon of migration during the morning sessions. Individual headings related to diaspora issues in Türkiye were addressed, and migration and diaspora challenges were examined in detail. Both the problems and the possible solutions, as well as how migration has been managed to date, were clarified.
The afternoon sessions began with opening and protocol speeches. Addresses were delivered by Recep Seyyar, chairperson of the board of the Migration and Diaspora Foundation; Ali Nasser Benyan, head of the Nehreyn Strategic Research Center of the Iraqi National Security Secretariat; Deputy Minister of Social Services Leman Yenigün, and Deputy Minister of the Interior Bülent Turan.
During the afternoon session, I was also asked to moderate a panel. The topic of the panel was “The Impact of Diasporas on Policymakers.” The discussion examined how these impacts are reflected in domestic policies and in international politics.
The panel featured Ammar Abu Guddah, former board member of the Syrian American Council; Dr. Hüseyin Aslan, representing the Iraqi diaspora; and Dr. Osama Al-Ashqar, representing the Palestinian diaspora.
Naturally, when the subjects are Türkiye, Iraq, Syria and Palestine, global issues are brought to the fore together with migration challenges. As the panel moderator, I summarized my opening remarks as follows: “Our lands are composed of the territories of peoples who have been subjected to a century of de facto occupation and, in their second century, to cultural imperialism. When we analyze the situation today, migration generates a clear cost. Although those who create this cost of migration are directly the occupiers, aggressors or imperialists who provoke civil wars, it is Syria, Iraq and Palestine – or indirectly countries such as Türkiye and Jordan – that bear the burden. The real system that must be questioned is this: Why does today’s global system produce occupation, conflict and chaos? Why does it generate destruction? Those exposed to this reality are forced to leave their countries and migrate elsewhere.”
When the issue is addressed in this context, foreign policy debates naturally come to the fore. When the discussion turned to Palestine, the advances Palestinians have made on the global stage since Oct. 7, 2023 – and the fact that the issue has once again become a fundamental concern of humanity – naturally brought the Palestinian question to the center of the panel’s agenda.
In the ideological struggles between the right and the left during the 1970s, Palestine stood as a defining issue. Today, it has once again emerged as a central test for humanity worldwide, dividing those who pursue imperial interests from those who stand on the side of human values.
All communities that stand for justice and humanity have taken a position in favor of Palestine. Those who feed on oppression, occupation, genocide and blood, however, have aligned themselves at the level of states with Israel.
The transfer of Syrian experience in the U.S. was particularly critical. It became clear that Syrians, having left behind a dictatorial regime and gone to the U.S., first went through a process of gaining acceptance in their new environment. After becoming U.S. citizens and gaining confidence, they came together, organized and began to advocate for Syrian rights at the lobbying level. The contrast experienced by people from a country under a dictatorship to one with freedom was striking. This new experience demonstrated how they developed new reflexes.
As for the Iraqi case, it was noted that students who studied in Türkiye, those who came to work and joined business life here, later went on to serve in state positions in Iraq, shape trade and assume critical political roles. In this regard, the long-running Türkiye Scholarships program, which has been offered to international students for decades, proved to be highly effective.
One point to remember: When 4 million-5 million Syrians arrived in Türkiye, Kudret Bülbül – who at the time was head of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) – admitted 5,000 students directly into Turkish universities under the Türkiye Scholarships program. Today, these individuals have become valuable members of the Syrian bureaucracy and state apparatus.
Once again, we saw the importance of the foresight of state leaders, bureaucrats and technocrats for the country's future.
In this context, the participation of Ali Nasser Benyan, head of the Nehreyn Strategic Research Center of the Iraqi National Security Secretariat, was particularly critical in terms of his contribution to strategic-level cooperation at this migration and diaspora meeting. Turkish civil society organizations are now convening major international events. This is a source of pride.
