The Turkish Community in the Czech Republic: A Diaspora in the Making?

Abstract

Migration is a relatively new phenomenon in the Čzech Republic, which has gradually become a destination country. The securitisation and politicisation of migration in the Čzech domestic discourse has created a great deal of public anxiety, especially towards Muslims. This paper focuses on the position of Turkish migrants, the single largest Muslim community in the Čzech Republic, in the specific context of the Čzech Republic. The objective is to define the nature of Turkish migration to the Čzech Republic as part of broader migration patterns. Using data from the Čzech Statistical Office and from a questionnaire survey, it investigates the Turkish community's assessment of adaptation to the Čzech environment and their position within the wider Turkish dias-pora policy. I argue that that the non-transparent Čzech immigration policy and Čzech Islamophobia are potential factors influencing the adaptation process of the Turkish community, which might affect their decision to remain in the country. Furthermore, the small size of the Turkish community can hamper the migrants' social life, who might wish to maintain strong ties with the homeland and the diaspora community in Europe.