A CULTURE OF MANAGING DIFFERENCE: THE FIELD OF MIGRATION MANAGEMENT AND SYRIAN MOVERS TO TURKEY A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY MICHELLE S DROMGOLD IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MIDDLE EAST STUDIES SEPTEMBER 2015 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Meliha Altunışık Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Prof. Dr. Özlem Tür Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Asst. Prof. Besim Can Zırh Supervisor Examining Committee Members Asst. Prof. Reyhan Atasü-Topçuoğlu (HU, SHY) Asst. Prof. Dr. Çağatay Topal (METU, SOC) Asst. Prof. Dr. Besim Can Zırh (METU, SOC) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name: Michelle S. Dromgold Signature: iii ABSTRACT A CULTURE OF MANAGING DIFFERENCE: THE FIELD OF MIGRATION MANAGEMENT AND SYRIAN MOVERS TO TURKEY Dromgold, Michelle S. M.S, Department of Middle East Studies Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Besim Can Zırh September 2015, 183 pages This thesis examines migration management in Turkey and its impact upon Syrians as migration patterns, policy, and structure in the country are changing. To address such changes and align policies with European Union and international norms, Turkey enforced the Law on Foreigners and International Protection in April 2014, which signifies a shift in governmental practices and discourses on migration and establishes a migration coordinating directorate. At the same time, local, national, international and supranational governmental and civil society organizations are engaged in responding to the displacement of over 1.9 million Syrians into Turkey’s borders and Turkey’s migration management has become multi-tiered. To analyze how these various actors contribute to and coordinate in the field, this research questions: 1) What is migration management; 2) How does Turkey’s migration management field fit in the global migration governance system; 3) What are the relationships of actors in this field; and 4) Do actors in the field perceive this system as adequate for fulfilling the needs of Syrians in Turkey? This research applies global governance theory to analyze the actors, practices and discourses in the field as evident in organizations’ reports and websites as well as interviews with accessible organizations. Syrian migration presents a relevant modern day test of migration management. In analyzing the multi-tiered field of migration management of Syrians in Turkey, this research aims to shed light on the intricacies of migration management and will contribute to literature focusing on better defining and understanding international migration management in today’s global world. Keywords: Global Governance, Migration Management, Turkey iv ÖZ FARKLILIKLARI YÖNETME KÜLTÜRÜ: GÖÇ YÖNETIMI ALANI VE TÜRKIYE’YE GÖÇ EDEN SURIYELILER Dromgold, Michelle S. Yükseklisans, Orta Doğu Araştırmaları Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Asst. Prof. Besim Can Zırh Eylül 2015, 183 sayfa Bu çalışma Türkiye’de göç yönetimi ve göç yönetiminin -ülkede göç politikası, şekli ve organizasyonel yapısı değişirken- Suriye vatandaşları üzerindeki etkisini incelemektedir. Türkiye, hem bu değişikliğe ayak uydurmak hem de Avrupa Birliği normlarına ve uluslararası normlara uyum sağlamak amacıyla Nisan 2014`te 6458 Sayılı kanunu yürürlüğe koymuştur. Söz konusu kanun, devletin göç ile ilgili yaklaşım ve söylemindeki değişimin göstergesi olup Göç İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğünün temelini oluşturmaktadır. Türkiye sınırındaki 1.9 milyondan fazla Suriyeliye yardım etmek için, yerel, ulusal, uluslararası ve uluslar üstü birçok kurum ve STK seferber olmuşken; Türkiye’nin göç yönetimi çok katmanlı bir yapı teşkil etmektedir. İlgili aktörlerin nasıl katkı sunduklarını ve koordinasyon sağladıklarını analiz etmek üzere, çalışma, şu sorular üzerinde yoğunlaşmaktadır: 1) Göç yönetimi nedir? 2) Türkiye’nin göç yönetim sistemi küresel göç yönetim sisteminin bir parçası olarak nerede yer almaktadır? 3) Bu alandaki ilgili aktörler bağlamında ilişkiler nasıl temellendirilmektedir? 4) Bu sistemdeki aktörler, Türk göç yönetimi sisteminin, Türkiye’deki Suriyelilerin ihtiyaçlarını karşılama noktasında, yeterliliğini nasıl algılamaktadırlar? Bu çalışma küresel yönetişim teorisini, göç yönetimi alanındaki aktörlerin söylemlerinin ve faaliyetlerinin analizine erişilebilir kurumlar tarafından oluşturulan raporları ve web sitelerini, bu kurumlarla yapılan röportajları kanıt olarak kullanarak, uygulamaktadır. Suriyelilerin göçü modern bir göç yönetimi testi niteliği taşımaktadır. Türkiye`deki Suriyelilerin çok katmanlı göç yönetiminin incelenmesiyle bu çalışma, göç yönetimindeki karışıklıklara ışık tutmayı ve bugünün küresel dünyasında uluslararası göç yönetiminin anlaşılmasına ve tanımlanmasına yardımcı olmayı amaçlamaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Göç Yönetimi, Küresel Yönetişim, Türkiye v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The final printed version of this Masters thesis is the result of a shaping and fostering along the way to which a multitude of friends, family, professors and colleagues have contributed. For their sharing and exchange of ideas, for their criticism and encouragement, for their support and networking, I would therefore like to thank the following individuals and acknowledge their contribution in the final work that this thesis has become: To Yelda Devlet, Irmak Altunok, Baris Karacasu, Merle Neubauer, Professor Mehmet Okyayuz and Professor Helga Rittersburger-Tilic for their informal conversations and their assistance in networking me with relevant contacts and organizations; To the Kurdish Studies Network, particularly its members Osman Isci, Omar Sheikhmous, Hicret Turhan and Maria Christina Vibe for suggesting possible contacts for interviews in Gaziantep and Şanliurfa; Special thanks to Lise Goll, Özmen Abi, Aziz Abi and Mehmet Abi for all of their assistance in navigating NGOs and arranging meetings and transport in each of these cities; To Senay Özden, Barbara Pusch and Cavidan Soykan for their informal mentoring and encouragement; Special thanks to Professor Serif Bahcecik for his mentoring and oversight of the theoretical section of my paper and the numerous suggestions for improvement and expansion of this section of my paper, which frames all that follows; Special thanks to Professor Besim Can Zirh for all of his support in advising my research along the way; for his initial suggestion guiding me towards the topic of migration management in Turkey, for his comments and criticisms of drafts, his mentoring, and particularly for all of his efforts and time in applying for and overseeing my BAP Project funding, which has allowed interviews to be conducted in Istanbul, Şanliurfa and Gaziantep; To my family, for their endless support and motivation; for early morning cups of coffee and late night editing; And finally, to Memo, for his countless assistance in translations and transcriptions, but more importantly for his ongoing encouragement and for his enduring support. This study was supported by the State Planning Organization (DPT) Grant Number: BAP-07-03-2015-00. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM ......................................................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ iv ÖZ ............................................................................................................................................ v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................................... x TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................. xi LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 A Brief Introduction to ‘Migration Management’ ......................................................... 2 1.2 The Case State of Turkey .............................................................................................. 4 1.3 Research Questions ........................................................................................................ 5 1.4 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 5 1.5 Categorization of Interviews.......................................................................................... 7 1.6 An Introduction to Turkey’s Governance Structure .................................................... 11 1.7 Context of this Research