Kitlesel mülteci akınlarına devlet tepkileri: Türkiye'deki Bulgar Türkleri, Irak Kürtleri ve Suriyeliler örnekleri

This study presents an analysis of state responses to mass refugee movements with the theoretical frameworks of mainstream international relations (IR) theories in a comparative and historical manner, using the case of Turkey and three cases of mass influxes it received in the past three decades. Using data from archive data search of three daily newspapers in the relevant periods of 1989, 1991, and between 2011 and 2016, it makes qualitative content analysis of the discourse of Turkish state officials regarding mass refugee flows from Bulgaria, Iraq and Syria. The analysis is complemented by secondary data based on the national immigration and asylum laws and regulations that has developed through the course of refugee flows. Looking into the state discourse on different refugee groups, it investigates the relevance of the main arguments of IR theories in explaining the similarities and differences of the state policies regarding the three cases. The significance of sudden movements of a massive number of people into the state territory on the host county and on its international affairs, as well as the transformative effect of international regimes and organizations on state behavior come into prominence. Hence, it shows the role of the dominant national identity the state bases its sovereignty on and that can change through history, and the identity of the refugee groups constructed in different ways by the host nation-state in explaining the differences in state policies.