Papers by Zeynep Sahin Mencutek
Forced Migration Review 62, 2019
Conducting fieldwork is a way of collecting data, verifying hypotheses, answering key questions a... more Conducting fieldwork is a way of collecting data, verifying hypotheses, answering key questions and filling in gaps. It is also a key to gaining different visions about the themes and arguments, which have been proposed in the designation stage of the social research. Beyond fulfilling these research tasks, I find fieldwork to be a personally very enriching experience as a political scientist. My last field work in Şanlıurfa, Turkey this summer validated my ideas about the benefits of field research. I was in this province to conduct micro and meso level interviews within the context of RESPOND.
New Perspectives on Turkey, 2018
This article analyzes the extent to which Turkey's irregular migration governance has evolved sin... more This article analyzes the extent to which Turkey's irregular migration governance has evolved since the 1990s and the most salient factors in that process. Relying on the methods of process tracing and political ethnography, the article demonstrates that, since the early 1990s, Turkey's irregular migration governance has been driven by the following factors: 1) responses to the European Union's (EU) attempts to control migration through externalization; 2) Turkey's national security concerns, which increased with the advent of mass migration from the Middle East; and 3) the increase in the number of irregular migrants on Turkish territory. The Syrian mass migration that began in 2011 gave momentum to the evolution of irregular migration governance in line with the long-term externalization on the part of the EU. Our analysis sheds light on the interconnectedness of irregular and mass migration, as well as on the outcomes of interactions between international politics and national migration governance. Thus, the article provides insights that will prove valuable for migration studies, EU studies, and studies on Turkish foreign policy.
Focusing on the case of Lebanon in which refugee concentration is the highest in the world relati... more Focusing on the case of Lebanon in which refugee concentration is the highest in the world relative to the population size, this paper aims to explore which factors shape initial policy preferences and changes over time in the first refugee destination countries. The paper specifically questions the policy responses of Lebanon to the Syrian refugee movement from 2012 to 2016, the motivations behind policies and the consequences of change. The paper argues that despite historically being a refugee receiving country, Lebanon has had neither structured border management, nor effective reception, protection and integration policies. Instead, it has largely adopted ad hoc policies for each refugee group. Through its response to the Syrian refugee movement in the initial years, Lebanon's inaction showed characteristics of policy paralysis, a situation in which the government was unable to create or implement policy programs. The government was only able to block undesirable policy options, such as the establishment of camps, and to implement few ad-hoc policies that overall exemplify inaction. However, since the end of 2014, inaction has been replaced by restrictive measures on border management and reception to dissuade Syrian refugees, while the creation of protection and integration policies has been avoided. Policy changes in border control and reception reflect the Lebanese state’s recognition of a demographic challenge, its desire to appease growing negative public sentiment, to renegotiate its sovereignty vis-à-vis growing security challenges and to increase the involvement of international organizations (IOs) in refugee governance. On the other
hand, Lebanon refrains from developing protection and integration measures due to a lack of capacity, ideational concerns pertaining to a delicate sectarian balance, as well as its historical experience with the protracted Palestinian refugee issue. The paper is based on qualitative research including case study evaluation, process tracing and policy ethnography. Data is drawn from the desk research of secondary literature, published reports and news as well as on fieldwork.
Voting from abroad (VFA) is a complex norm and practice due to the multilevel processes,
structur... more Voting from abroad (VFA) is a complex norm and practice due to the multilevel processes,
structures and actors involved. This article explores the reasons behind the eventual adoption
of this practice within the context of a long and well-known history of emigration in Turkey.
During the 2014 Turkish presidential election, emigrants from Turkey were finally allowed to
participate from abroad even though legislation giving them this right has been in place since
1995. Based on archival research and fieldwork in Germany and the United States, this article
discusses the varying relevance of three central explanatory factors to the implementation of
VFA: emigrant lobbying, the electoral expectations of potential benefit by the governing party,
and the presence of broader, state-led diaspora engagement policies. The first of these is
important but insufficient, whereas the second factor is necessary. Moreover, the presence of
broader, state-led diaspora engagement policies is a mediating factor. This article finds that
specific actors like political parties may play the crucial role, highlighting the need for critical
examination of their role in the implementation process.
Bu çalışmada Suriye iç savaşının Ürdün’ün dış
politika yapımı üzerindeki etkileri mercek altına
a... more Bu çalışmada Suriye iç savaşının Ürdün’ün dış
politika yapımı üzerindeki etkileri mercek altına
alınarak, özellikle Suriyeli sığınmacılar ve Irak
Şam İslam Devleti (IŞİD) terör örgütüne karşın
Ürdün’ün nasıl politikalar geliştirdiği incelenecektir.
Bu çalışmanın temel argümanı her ne kadar iç
savaş başladığında Ürdün tarafsız kalmaya çalışsa
da zaman içerisinde stratejik davranarak risk ve
tehditleri hem ekonomi hem de ulusal güvenlik
açısından fırsata dönüştürüldüğüdür. Ürdün’ün
geleneksel dış politikası ve stratejik adımlar atabilme
becerisi olası tehditleri fırsata dönüştürmesinde
önemli rol oynamıştır. Ürdün, özellikle istikrarsızlığın
yayılmasını durdurmak ve bölgedeki
radikalleşmeyi önlemek için kritik önemde olduğu
argümanıyla tehditlerin etkisini azaltmış, uluslararası
dış yardımların ve borç alımlarının miktarlarını
arttırmış ordusunu güçlendirmiş, otoriter rejimin
meşruiyetini sağlamlaştırmıştır.
This article addresses questions of how race/ethnicity, gender,
and religion influence political ... more This article addresses questions of how race/ethnicity, gender,
and religion influence political representation. We use original
interview data to test a strategic intersectionality theory developed
by Fraga and colleagues (2005) in the case of female Muslim
councilors in London, the United Kingdom. The original strategic
intersectionality theory proposes that women are more effective
advocates for ethnic group interests due to their unique capacity to
leverage three primary resources: a substantive policy focus, multiple
identity advantage, and gender inclusive advantage.We modify
the thesis by analyzing religion as an additional identity marker
and further disaggregating the three primary sources of leverage.
We use the modified thesis to test whether female Muslim councilors
of three London boroughs are more effective advocates for Muslim
interests than their non-Muslim colleagues. We find mixed evidence
for the presence of the three sources of leverage associated
with strategic intersectionality, resulting in a more complex theorizing of this phenomenon than that found in prior research.This study offers a new contribution to the operationalization of intersectionality and the literature on intersectionality and political
representation.
The relationship between 'foreign' and 'immigration and asylum' policy is complex and has signifi... more The relationship between 'foreign' and 'immigration and asylum' policy is complex and has significant consequences beyond these policy areas. Despite their ever increasing importance, migration and refugee studies have been rarely tackled within the foreign policy dimension of state's responses, in particular regarding refugee crisis. This paper both demonstrates the importance for and impact of foreign policy orientations on immigration and asylum policies. It questions how 'foreign' policy and 'asylum' policy are intertwined and generate differences in coping with the mass influx with a focus on the Syrian refugee crisis and Turkey's policy responses. We argue that assertive foreign policy of Turkey, particularly willingness to be the actor 'establishing the order' in the Middle East' which led to the 'open-door' and humanitarian asylum policy at the initial stages of refugee flow. However, the isolation of Turkish foreign policy along with the increase in the numbers of refugees necessitated recalibration of the adopted policy towards the one based on 'non-arrival', and 'security' emphasizing 'temporary protection', 'voluntary return' and the 'burden share'.
This article shows how extant theories on women's representation in parties can only partially ex... more This article shows how extant theories on women's representation in parties can only partially explain the Kurdish ethno-nationalist party's exceptional level of women's descriptive representation vis-à-vis the Turkish average. It demonstrates that women's very high level of representation in the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) can be better understood by examining the interaction between party-related and movement-related factors. Drawing on extensive empirical research, the study demonstrates that the party's leftist ideology, along with the mobilisation strategies and needs of the movement, have had a decisive impact in creating the conditions for women's self-assertion and their taking positions of power within the party, including the adoption and scrupulous implementation of a voluntary party gender quota. The study suggests that, in the case of parties closely tied to broader social movements, it is the relationship between the two organisations (party and movement), rather than just the former, that should be analysed. This is particularly evident in the case of ethno-nationalist parties that emanate from highly mobilised or even armed movements.
Books by Zeynep Sahin Mencutek
Refugee Governance, State and Politics in the Middle East, 2019
The movement of displaced people, migrants and refugees has become increasingly important around ... more The movement of displaced people, migrants and refugees has become increasingly important around the world, leading to a need for increased scrutiny of global responses and policies towards migration. This book focuses on the Middle East, where many nations are part of this global phenomenon as both home, transit and/or host country. Refugee Governance, State and Politics in the Middle East examines the patterns of legal, political and institutional responses to large-scale Syrian forced migration. It analyses the motivations behind neighbouring coun-tries' policy responses, how their responses change over time and how they have an impact on regional and global cooperation. Looking in particular at Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, three of the world's top refugee hosting countries , this book explores how refugee governance differs across countries and why they diverge. To theorize variations, the book introduces multi-pattern and multi-stage refugee governance models as two complementary analytical frameworks. The book further argues that each of these three states' refugee responses is constructed based on three main factors: internal political interests, economic-development related concerns, and foreign policy objectives as well as interactions among them. The book's categoriza-tions and models (on policy fields, actors, stages, patterns and driving forces) provide analytical tools to researchers for comparative analyses. Scholars and students of Comparative Politics, International Relations, Refugee Studies, Global Governance and Middle Eastern Studies will find this book a useful contribution to their fields. Zeynep Şahin Mencütek is an Associate Fellow,
Book Reviews by Zeynep Sahin Mencutek
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Papers by Zeynep Sahin Mencutek
hand, Lebanon refrains from developing protection and integration measures due to a lack of capacity, ideational concerns pertaining to a delicate sectarian balance, as well as its historical experience with the protracted Palestinian refugee issue. The paper is based on qualitative research including case study evaluation, process tracing and policy ethnography. Data is drawn from the desk research of secondary literature, published reports and news as well as on fieldwork.
structures and actors involved. This article explores the reasons behind the eventual adoption
of this practice within the context of a long and well-known history of emigration in Turkey.
During the 2014 Turkish presidential election, emigrants from Turkey were finally allowed to
participate from abroad even though legislation giving them this right has been in place since
1995. Based on archival research and fieldwork in Germany and the United States, this article
discusses the varying relevance of three central explanatory factors to the implementation of
VFA: emigrant lobbying, the electoral expectations of potential benefit by the governing party,
and the presence of broader, state-led diaspora engagement policies. The first of these is
important but insufficient, whereas the second factor is necessary. Moreover, the presence of
broader, state-led diaspora engagement policies is a mediating factor. This article finds that
specific actors like political parties may play the crucial role, highlighting the need for critical
examination of their role in the implementation process.
politika yapımı üzerindeki etkileri mercek altına
alınarak, özellikle Suriyeli sığınmacılar ve Irak
Şam İslam Devleti (IŞİD) terör örgütüne karşın
Ürdün’ün nasıl politikalar geliştirdiği incelenecektir.
Bu çalışmanın temel argümanı her ne kadar iç
savaş başladığında Ürdün tarafsız kalmaya çalışsa
da zaman içerisinde stratejik davranarak risk ve
tehditleri hem ekonomi hem de ulusal güvenlik
açısından fırsata dönüştürüldüğüdür. Ürdün’ün
geleneksel dış politikası ve stratejik adımlar atabilme
becerisi olası tehditleri fırsata dönüştürmesinde
önemli rol oynamıştır. Ürdün, özellikle istikrarsızlığın
yayılmasını durdurmak ve bölgedeki
radikalleşmeyi önlemek için kritik önemde olduğu
argümanıyla tehditlerin etkisini azaltmış, uluslararası
dış yardımların ve borç alımlarının miktarlarını
arttırmış ordusunu güçlendirmiş, otoriter rejimin
meşruiyetini sağlamlaştırmıştır.
and religion influence political representation. We use original
interview data to test a strategic intersectionality theory developed
by Fraga and colleagues (2005) in the case of female Muslim
councilors in London, the United Kingdom. The original strategic
intersectionality theory proposes that women are more effective
advocates for ethnic group interests due to their unique capacity to
leverage three primary resources: a substantive policy focus, multiple
identity advantage, and gender inclusive advantage.We modify
the thesis by analyzing religion as an additional identity marker
and further disaggregating the three primary sources of leverage.
We use the modified thesis to test whether female Muslim councilors
of three London boroughs are more effective advocates for Muslim
interests than their non-Muslim colleagues. We find mixed evidence
for the presence of the three sources of leverage associated
with strategic intersectionality, resulting in a more complex theorizing of this phenomenon than that found in prior research.This study offers a new contribution to the operationalization of intersectionality and the literature on intersectionality and political
representation.
Books by Zeynep Sahin Mencutek
Book Reviews by Zeynep Sahin Mencutek
hand, Lebanon refrains from developing protection and integration measures due to a lack of capacity, ideational concerns pertaining to a delicate sectarian balance, as well as its historical experience with the protracted Palestinian refugee issue. The paper is based on qualitative research including case study evaluation, process tracing and policy ethnography. Data is drawn from the desk research of secondary literature, published reports and news as well as on fieldwork.
structures and actors involved. This article explores the reasons behind the eventual adoption
of this practice within the context of a long and well-known history of emigration in Turkey.
During the 2014 Turkish presidential election, emigrants from Turkey were finally allowed to
participate from abroad even though legislation giving them this right has been in place since
1995. Based on archival research and fieldwork in Germany and the United States, this article
discusses the varying relevance of three central explanatory factors to the implementation of
VFA: emigrant lobbying, the electoral expectations of potential benefit by the governing party,
and the presence of broader, state-led diaspora engagement policies. The first of these is
important but insufficient, whereas the second factor is necessary. Moreover, the presence of
broader, state-led diaspora engagement policies is a mediating factor. This article finds that
specific actors like political parties may play the crucial role, highlighting the need for critical
examination of their role in the implementation process.
politika yapımı üzerindeki etkileri mercek altına
alınarak, özellikle Suriyeli sığınmacılar ve Irak
Şam İslam Devleti (IŞİD) terör örgütüne karşın
Ürdün’ün nasıl politikalar geliştirdiği incelenecektir.
Bu çalışmanın temel argümanı her ne kadar iç
savaş başladığında Ürdün tarafsız kalmaya çalışsa
da zaman içerisinde stratejik davranarak risk ve
tehditleri hem ekonomi hem de ulusal güvenlik
açısından fırsata dönüştürüldüğüdür. Ürdün’ün
geleneksel dış politikası ve stratejik adımlar atabilme
becerisi olası tehditleri fırsata dönüştürmesinde
önemli rol oynamıştır. Ürdün, özellikle istikrarsızlığın
yayılmasını durdurmak ve bölgedeki
radikalleşmeyi önlemek için kritik önemde olduğu
argümanıyla tehditlerin etkisini azaltmış, uluslararası
dış yardımların ve borç alımlarının miktarlarını
arttırmış ordusunu güçlendirmiş, otoriter rejimin
meşruiyetini sağlamlaştırmıştır.
and religion influence political representation. We use original
interview data to test a strategic intersectionality theory developed
by Fraga and colleagues (2005) in the case of female Muslim
councilors in London, the United Kingdom. The original strategic
intersectionality theory proposes that women are more effective
advocates for ethnic group interests due to their unique capacity to
leverage three primary resources: a substantive policy focus, multiple
identity advantage, and gender inclusive advantage.We modify
the thesis by analyzing religion as an additional identity marker
and further disaggregating the three primary sources of leverage.
We use the modified thesis to test whether female Muslim councilors
of three London boroughs are more effective advocates for Muslim
interests than their non-Muslim colleagues. We find mixed evidence
for the presence of the three sources of leverage associated
with strategic intersectionality, resulting in a more complex theorizing of this phenomenon than that found in prior research.This study offers a new contribution to the operationalization of intersectionality and the literature on intersectionality and political
representation.