Sociological view of Cretan immigrants: The case of Antalya province

The phenomenon of migration, which plays an active role in the process of social change and transformation, has been one of the important research fields within the discipline of sociology. Individuals or communities had to leave their geographical location for various reasons. Various reasons were at the root of the action in question and this led to the fact that migration is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. This situation has been effective in the subject of migration to interdisciplinary studies. The history of the Anatolian geography has also witnessed many migration events. Especially in the 19th until the establishment of the Republic of migration that took place last century has played a major role in the development of Turkey's social views. One of these migrations is migrations from Crete Island to Anatolia. These migrations were concentrated especially in the settlement areas on the west and south coasts. One of the migrated places is Antalya, which is located in the Mediterranean Region. Tensions occurred between immigrants and locals, with the settlement of the Cretan immigrants that took place in 1896-1912, which significantly determined the demographic appearance of Antalya. This process also significantly influenced the Cretan identity of the Cretan immigrant community over a 120-year period, and today's perceptions of immigrants' identity It also sheds light on the intergenerational transfer and reflection of everyday life practices and cultural accumulation. This study, which was designed with a qualitative research pattern and carried out with in-depth interview technique, aims to understand and explain the migration process of the second, third and fourth generation Cretan immigrant community. In this context, it was tried to identify the experiences, socio-cultural identities and social problems of the Cretan immigrants living in Antalya in today's world. In the Ahmediye District and Üçgen District determined for this purpose, a total of 20 participants were interviewed using the snowball sample. The data obtained were analyzed in accordance with the qualitative research structure with a meaningful approach, the migration process and some narratives about immigrants were determined and analyzed. According to the results of the research, the expectations of the participants were determined and solutions were offered. Keywords: Cretan, Migration, Immigrant, Identity, Antalya.