Collective memory and diasporic identity in the Turkish diaspora

While the number of studies about diaspora is increasing daily, these studies mainly deal with the effects of diasporas through the diaspora politics of home countries or by approaching diasporic identities in an essentialist way. On the other hand, the number of studies examining the transformation and diasporization processes experienced by the diaspora in the context of memory is quite limited. In this study, diaspora conceptualizations and the differences between classical and modern diasporas will be examined through the collective memory of the Turkish diaspora in Germany. Studies that shed light on the collective memory of the diaspora examine the classical diasporas that have been exposed to traumatic and forced migration processes. There are not enough studies regarding the modern diasporas that emerged after the migration process and the construction of their collective memories. In the diaspora, collective memory is built on a double-layered field. The first is the preservation of the hybrid identity that emerged in the diaspora, and the second is the emergence of "diaspora mobilization," which makes the diaspora exist and resist assimilation. According to the study's findings, the transformed social structure of the Turkish diaspora after migration indicates that it has hybridized cultural identities. It is seen that the ceremonies, bodily practices, traditions, language, and cultures of the Turks in Germany, which is a modern diaspora, contain different elements according to the homeland and the host society. On the other hand, it is aimed to develop ties with the homeland and maintain diaspora mobility by trying to protect the emerging diasporic identity through places, associations, and Turkey's diaspora policies.