Identity transformation and transnational solidarity in "double diasporas": The Syrian Circassians in Türkiye

This dissertation explores the diasporic identity transformations and transnational solidarity practices of Syrian Circassians who were displaced by the Syrian civil war and resettled in Türkiye. Framed within the broader literature on forced migration, double diaspora, and transnationalism, the study aims to examine how a community already shaped by historical displacement navigates another forced migration. It particularly investigates how Syrian Circassians reconstruct their identities and maintain or reconfigure their transnational connections in a new sociopolitical context. This dissertation develops the concept of double diaspora to capture the layered experiences of Syrian Circassians, shaped by both historical exile from the Caucasus and recent displacement from Syria. By analyzing individual narratives and civil society dynamics, it contributes to diaspora studies by framing double diaspora as a lived process of ongoing negotiation across multiple homelands, identities, and solidarities. To address these questions, the dissertation adopts a multi-level methodological approach, combining individual and organizational perspectives. Through its empirical focus and reflexive engagement, this dissertation contributes both conceptually and methodologically to the study of double diasporas, illustrating how identity and solidarity are co-constructed across borders in the face of enduring displacement.