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50 Years After the Labour Recruitment Agreement with Germany: The Consequences of Emigration for Turkey

Year 2012, Volume: 17 Issue: 2, 11 - 36, 01.07.2012

Abstract

Turkey is a country with relatively recent and ongoing experience of labour emigration. Starting with the signing of the bilateral Turkish-West German labour recruitment agreement in October 1961, it has been a country of emigration, a trend that significantly influenced part of its economic, social, and political history. This essay elaborates the last fifty-year history of labour emigration from Turkey, and its consequences for the country in the economic, social and political spheres. It aims to sketch briefly the trends and patterns of emigration flows with reference mainly to the changing nature of these flows over time. More specifically, the essay offers an overview of the main impacts of labour migration for the country. It concludes that neither the positive nor the negative consequences of emigratory flows for the country should be overestimated

References

  • Ahmet İçduygu, “International Migration and Turkey”, OECD SOPEMI Report for Turkey, Istanbul, MiReKoc, Koç University, 2011; Ahmet İçduygu and Kemal Kirişci, Land of Diverse Migrations, Istanbul, Istanbul Bilgi University Press, 2009, pp. 1-25.
  • İçduygu and Kirişci, Land of Diverse Migrations, pp. 1-25.
  • For more detailed information on the emigration of non-Muslims minorities, see Ahmet İçduygu, Şule Toktaş and Ali Bayram Soner, “The Politics of Population in a Nation Building Process: Emigration of Non-Muslims from Turkey”, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 31, No. 2 (February 2008), pp. 358-389.
  • Suzanne Paine, Exporting Workers: the Turkish Case, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1974; Ahmet İçduygu, Migrant as a Transitional Category: Turkish Migrants in Melbourne, Australia, unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Australian National University, 1991.
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe, 1960-1977”, in Nermin Abadan- Unat (ed.), Turkish Workers in Europe- 1960-1975, Leiden, E.J. Brill, 1976, pp.1- 44; Samuel Lieberman and Ali Gitmez, “Turkey”, in Ronald Krane (ed.), International Labour Migration in Europe, New York, Praeger Publishers, 1979, pp. 201-220; Ahmet Akgündüz, Labour Migration from Turkey to Western Europe- 1960-1974, Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, 2006.
  • In 1964 with Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium, in 1965 with France, and in 1967 with Sweden and Australia. Less comprehensive agreements were signed with the United Kingdom in 1961, with Switzerland in 1971, with Denmark in 1973 and with Norway in 1981. For a detailed elaboration of these agreements, see Erhard Franz, Population Policy in Turkey, Hamburg, Deutsches Orient-Institut, 1994, pp. 5-16.
  • İçduygu, Migrant as a Transitional Category.
  • Ibid.; Akgündüz, Labour Migration from Turkey to Western Europe- 1960-1974.
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, Turks in Europe, From Guest Worker to Transnational Citizen, New York, Berghahn Books, 2011.
  • Anita Böcker, “Migration Networks: Turkish Migration to Western Europe”, in Rob van der Erf and Liesbeth Heering (eds.), Causes of International Migration, Luxembourg, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1995, pp. 151-171; Ahmet İçduygu, “A North-to-South Migration: From Turkey to Arab Countries”, Arab Regional Population Conference, Cairo, IUSSP Publication, 1996, pp.88-108.
  • Şefik Alp Bahadır, “Turkey and the Turks in Germany”, AussenpolitiK-First Quarter, 1979, pp.104-115.
  • İçduygu, Migrant as a Transitional Category: Turkish Migrants in Melbourne, Australia.
  • Republic of Germany”, International Labour Review, Vol. 111, No. 4 (1975), pp.335-355
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe, 1960-1977”, in Nermin Abadan-Unat
  • (ed.), Turkish Workers in Europe, 1960-1975, Leiden, E.J. Brill, 1976, pp.1-44; Rinus Pennix
  • “A Critical Review of Theory and Practice: The Case of Turkey”, International Migration
  • Review, Vol.16, No. 4 (1982), pp. 781-818.
  • Martin, The Unfinished Story: Turkish Labour Migration to Europe.
  • Ercan Kumcu, “The Savings Behaviour of Migrant Workers”, Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 30, No. 2 (1989), pp. 273-286.
  • Ahmet İçduygu, “Migration, Remittances and Their Impact on Economic Development in Turkey”, OECD, Migration, Remittances and Development, Paris, OECD Publishing, 2005.
  • Gündüz Atalık and Brian Beeley, “What Mass Migration Has Meant for Turkey”, in R. King (ed.), Mass Migration in Europe, London, Belhaven Press, 1993, pp. 156-174.
  • Keleş, “The Effects of External Migration on Regional Development in Turkey”.
  • Sabri Sayarı, “Migration Policies of Sending Countries”, Annals, Vol. 485 (May 1986), pp.87- 97; Martin, The Unfinished Story: Turkish Labour Migration to Europe.
  • Gökdere, Yabancı Ülkelere İşgücü Akımı.
  • İsmet Koç and Işıl Onan, “International Migrants’ Remittances and Welfare Status of the Left-Behind Families in Turkey”, International Migration Review, Vol. 38, No.1 (March 2004), pp.78-112.
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe and the Middle East: Its Impact on the Social Structure and Social Legislation”, in Laurence Michalak and Jeswald Salacuse (eds.), Social Legislation in the Contemporary Middle East, California, Institute of International Studies, 1986, pp. 325-369.
  • Pennix, “A Critical Review of Theory and Practice: The Case of Turkey”.
  • Keleş, “The Effects of External Migration on Regional Development in Turkey”; Martin, The Unfinished Story: Turkish Labour Migration to Europe; Atalık and Beeley, “What Mass Migration has Meant for Turkey”.
  • Keleş, “The Effects of External Migration on Regional Development in Turkey”; Martin, The Unfinished Story: Turkish Labour Migration to Europe.
  • As noted by Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe and the Middle East”, almost all of these worker companies failed, leaving only 80 (out of 600) with an employment of 11,000 in the early 1980s.
  • For instance, in recent years, there have been some special offers of selling some shares of the Turkish Airlines to the emigrants in the context of the privatization process of this airline company.
  • Lenore Manderson and Christine Inglis, “Workforce Participation and Childrearing Among Turkish Women in Sydney, Australia”, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 8, No. 2 (April 1985), pp.194-208.
  • Atalık and Beeley, “What Mass Migration Has Meant for Turkey”.
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, “Implications of Migration on Emancipation and Pseudo- emancipation of Turkish Women”, International Migration Review, Vol. 11, No. 1 (1977), pp. 31-57; Ayşe Kadıoğlu, “The Impact of Migration on Gender Roles: Findings of Field Research in Turkey”, International Migration, Vol. 32, No. 4 (October 1994), pp.533-560.
  • Çiğdem Kağıtçıbaşı, “Turkish Migrants: Views from the Sending Country”, in Rahmi Akçelik and Joy Elley (eds.), Turkish Community in Australia, Melbourne, Australian-Turkish Friendship Society Publications, 1988, pp. 1-20.
  • Sayarı, “Migration Policies of Sending Countries”, pp.87-97.
  • Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe and the Middle East”.
  • Martin, The Unfinished Story: Turkish Labour Migration to Europe.
  • Ahmet İçduygu, “Becoming a New Citizen in an Immigration Country”, International Migration, Vol. 34, No. 2 (April 1996), pp.257-272.
  • Sayarı, “Migration Policies of Sending Countries”, pp.87-97.
  • Şule Toktaş and Bayram Ali Soner, “Alevis and Alevism in the Changing Context of Turkish Politics: The Justice and Development Party’s Alevi Opening”, Turkish Studies, Vol. 12, No. 3 (2011), pp. 419-434.
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, “Ethnic Business, Ethnic Communities, and Ethno-politics among Turks in Europe”, in Emek Uçarer and Donald Puchala (eds.), Immigration into Western Societies, London, Pinter, 1997, pp. 227-251.
  • Lincoln Day and Ahmet İçduygu, “The Consequences of International Migration for the Status of Women”, International Migration, Vol. 35, No. 3 (September 1997), pp.337-372.
  • As far as the Turkey-originated emigration regimes are concerned, one can distinguish the relatively old emigration flows that mostly occurred in the period of the 1960s and 1970s, from the relatively new emigration movement that emerged since the 1980s. While the former contained mainly labour movement, the latter was mostly based on asylum flows and family reunification. The latter movement also contributed to the formation of emigrant communities in new destinations such as the United Kingdom and Norway.
  • Agustin Escobar, Kay Hailbronner, Philip Martin and Liliana Meza, “Migration and Development: Mexico and Turkey”, presented at the 14th Migration Dialogue Seminar, Mexico City, 2006.
  • Jon Swanson, Emigration and Economic Development: the Case of the Yemen Arab Republic, Boulder, Westview Press, 1979.
  • Day and İçduygu, “The Consequences of International Migration for the Status of Women”.
  • Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe and the Middle East”.
Year 2012, Volume: 17 Issue: 2, 11 - 36, 01.07.2012

Abstract

References

  • Ahmet İçduygu, “International Migration and Turkey”, OECD SOPEMI Report for Turkey, Istanbul, MiReKoc, Koç University, 2011; Ahmet İçduygu and Kemal Kirişci, Land of Diverse Migrations, Istanbul, Istanbul Bilgi University Press, 2009, pp. 1-25.
  • İçduygu and Kirişci, Land of Diverse Migrations, pp. 1-25.
  • For more detailed information on the emigration of non-Muslims minorities, see Ahmet İçduygu, Şule Toktaş and Ali Bayram Soner, “The Politics of Population in a Nation Building Process: Emigration of Non-Muslims from Turkey”, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 31, No. 2 (February 2008), pp. 358-389.
  • Suzanne Paine, Exporting Workers: the Turkish Case, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1974; Ahmet İçduygu, Migrant as a Transitional Category: Turkish Migrants in Melbourne, Australia, unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Australian National University, 1991.
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe, 1960-1977”, in Nermin Abadan- Unat (ed.), Turkish Workers in Europe- 1960-1975, Leiden, E.J. Brill, 1976, pp.1- 44; Samuel Lieberman and Ali Gitmez, “Turkey”, in Ronald Krane (ed.), International Labour Migration in Europe, New York, Praeger Publishers, 1979, pp. 201-220; Ahmet Akgündüz, Labour Migration from Turkey to Western Europe- 1960-1974, Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, 2006.
  • In 1964 with Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium, in 1965 with France, and in 1967 with Sweden and Australia. Less comprehensive agreements were signed with the United Kingdom in 1961, with Switzerland in 1971, with Denmark in 1973 and with Norway in 1981. For a detailed elaboration of these agreements, see Erhard Franz, Population Policy in Turkey, Hamburg, Deutsches Orient-Institut, 1994, pp. 5-16.
  • İçduygu, Migrant as a Transitional Category.
  • Ibid.; Akgündüz, Labour Migration from Turkey to Western Europe- 1960-1974.
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, Turks in Europe, From Guest Worker to Transnational Citizen, New York, Berghahn Books, 2011.
  • Anita Böcker, “Migration Networks: Turkish Migration to Western Europe”, in Rob van der Erf and Liesbeth Heering (eds.), Causes of International Migration, Luxembourg, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1995, pp. 151-171; Ahmet İçduygu, “A North-to-South Migration: From Turkey to Arab Countries”, Arab Regional Population Conference, Cairo, IUSSP Publication, 1996, pp.88-108.
  • Şefik Alp Bahadır, “Turkey and the Turks in Germany”, AussenpolitiK-First Quarter, 1979, pp.104-115.
  • İçduygu, Migrant as a Transitional Category: Turkish Migrants in Melbourne, Australia.
  • Republic of Germany”, International Labour Review, Vol. 111, No. 4 (1975), pp.335-355
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe, 1960-1977”, in Nermin Abadan-Unat
  • (ed.), Turkish Workers in Europe, 1960-1975, Leiden, E.J. Brill, 1976, pp.1-44; Rinus Pennix
  • “A Critical Review of Theory and Practice: The Case of Turkey”, International Migration
  • Review, Vol.16, No. 4 (1982), pp. 781-818.
  • Martin, The Unfinished Story: Turkish Labour Migration to Europe.
  • Ercan Kumcu, “The Savings Behaviour of Migrant Workers”, Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 30, No. 2 (1989), pp. 273-286.
  • Ahmet İçduygu, “Migration, Remittances and Their Impact on Economic Development in Turkey”, OECD, Migration, Remittances and Development, Paris, OECD Publishing, 2005.
  • Gündüz Atalık and Brian Beeley, “What Mass Migration Has Meant for Turkey”, in R. King (ed.), Mass Migration in Europe, London, Belhaven Press, 1993, pp. 156-174.
  • Keleş, “The Effects of External Migration on Regional Development in Turkey”.
  • Sabri Sayarı, “Migration Policies of Sending Countries”, Annals, Vol. 485 (May 1986), pp.87- 97; Martin, The Unfinished Story: Turkish Labour Migration to Europe.
  • Gökdere, Yabancı Ülkelere İşgücü Akımı.
  • İsmet Koç and Işıl Onan, “International Migrants’ Remittances and Welfare Status of the Left-Behind Families in Turkey”, International Migration Review, Vol. 38, No.1 (March 2004), pp.78-112.
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe and the Middle East: Its Impact on the Social Structure and Social Legislation”, in Laurence Michalak and Jeswald Salacuse (eds.), Social Legislation in the Contemporary Middle East, California, Institute of International Studies, 1986, pp. 325-369.
  • Pennix, “A Critical Review of Theory and Practice: The Case of Turkey”.
  • Keleş, “The Effects of External Migration on Regional Development in Turkey”; Martin, The Unfinished Story: Turkish Labour Migration to Europe; Atalık and Beeley, “What Mass Migration has Meant for Turkey”.
  • Keleş, “The Effects of External Migration on Regional Development in Turkey”; Martin, The Unfinished Story: Turkish Labour Migration to Europe.
  • As noted by Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe and the Middle East”, almost all of these worker companies failed, leaving only 80 (out of 600) with an employment of 11,000 in the early 1980s.
  • For instance, in recent years, there have been some special offers of selling some shares of the Turkish Airlines to the emigrants in the context of the privatization process of this airline company.
  • Lenore Manderson and Christine Inglis, “Workforce Participation and Childrearing Among Turkish Women in Sydney, Australia”, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 8, No. 2 (April 1985), pp.194-208.
  • Atalık and Beeley, “What Mass Migration Has Meant for Turkey”.
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, “Implications of Migration on Emancipation and Pseudo- emancipation of Turkish Women”, International Migration Review, Vol. 11, No. 1 (1977), pp. 31-57; Ayşe Kadıoğlu, “The Impact of Migration on Gender Roles: Findings of Field Research in Turkey”, International Migration, Vol. 32, No. 4 (October 1994), pp.533-560.
  • Çiğdem Kağıtçıbaşı, “Turkish Migrants: Views from the Sending Country”, in Rahmi Akçelik and Joy Elley (eds.), Turkish Community in Australia, Melbourne, Australian-Turkish Friendship Society Publications, 1988, pp. 1-20.
  • Sayarı, “Migration Policies of Sending Countries”, pp.87-97.
  • Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe and the Middle East”.
  • Martin, The Unfinished Story: Turkish Labour Migration to Europe.
  • Ahmet İçduygu, “Becoming a New Citizen in an Immigration Country”, International Migration, Vol. 34, No. 2 (April 1996), pp.257-272.
  • Sayarı, “Migration Policies of Sending Countries”, pp.87-97.
  • Şule Toktaş and Bayram Ali Soner, “Alevis and Alevism in the Changing Context of Turkish Politics: The Justice and Development Party’s Alevi Opening”, Turkish Studies, Vol. 12, No. 3 (2011), pp. 419-434.
  • Nermin Abadan-Unat, “Ethnic Business, Ethnic Communities, and Ethno-politics among Turks in Europe”, in Emek Uçarer and Donald Puchala (eds.), Immigration into Western Societies, London, Pinter, 1997, pp. 227-251.
  • Lincoln Day and Ahmet İçduygu, “The Consequences of International Migration for the Status of Women”, International Migration, Vol. 35, No. 3 (September 1997), pp.337-372.
  • As far as the Turkey-originated emigration regimes are concerned, one can distinguish the relatively old emigration flows that mostly occurred in the period of the 1960s and 1970s, from the relatively new emigration movement that emerged since the 1980s. While the former contained mainly labour movement, the latter was mostly based on asylum flows and family reunification. The latter movement also contributed to the formation of emigrant communities in new destinations such as the United Kingdom and Norway.
  • Agustin Escobar, Kay Hailbronner, Philip Martin and Liliana Meza, “Migration and Development: Mexico and Turkey”, presented at the 14th Migration Dialogue Seminar, Mexico City, 2006.
  • Jon Swanson, Emigration and Economic Development: the Case of the Yemen Arab Republic, Boulder, Westview Press, 1979.
  • Day and İçduygu, “The Consequences of International Migration for the Status of Women”.
  • Abadan-Unat, “Turkish Migration to Europe and the Middle East”.
There are 48 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Ahmet İçduygu This is me

Publication Date July 1, 2012
Published in Issue Year 2012 Volume: 17 Issue: 2

Cite

APA İçduygu, A. (2012). 50 Years After the Labour Recruitment Agreement with Germany: The Consequences of Emigration for Turkey. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs, 17(2), 11-36.
AMA İçduygu A. 50 Years After the Labour Recruitment Agreement with Germany: The Consequences of Emigration for Turkey. PERCEPTIONS. July 2012;17(2):11-36.
Chicago İçduygu, Ahmet. “50 Years After the Labour Recruitment Agreement With Germany: The Consequences of Emigration for Turkey”. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs 17, no. 2 (July 2012): 11-36.
EndNote İçduygu A (July 1, 2012) 50 Years After the Labour Recruitment Agreement with Germany: The Consequences of Emigration for Turkey. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs 17 2 11–36.
IEEE A. İçduygu, “50 Years After the Labour Recruitment Agreement with Germany: The Consequences of Emigration for Turkey”, PERCEPTIONS, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 11–36, 2012.
ISNAD İçduygu, Ahmet. “50 Years After the Labour Recruitment Agreement With Germany: The Consequences of Emigration for Turkey”. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs 17/2 (July 2012), 11-36.
JAMA İçduygu A. 50 Years After the Labour Recruitment Agreement with Germany: The Consequences of Emigration for Turkey. PERCEPTIONS. 2012;17:11–36.
MLA İçduygu, Ahmet. “50 Years After the Labour Recruitment Agreement With Germany: The Consequences of Emigration for Turkey”. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs, vol. 17, no. 2, 2012, pp. 11-36.
Vancouver İçduygu A. 50 Years After the Labour Recruitment Agreement with Germany: The Consequences of Emigration for Turkey. PERCEPTIONS. 2012;17(2):11-36.