Regime Consolidation for Authoritarian Populist Governments: Reproduction of Resources through Refugee Rentierism in Turkey

• In Event: Comparative Politics Lightning Round

Abstract

The proposed study examines the impact of migration diplomacy between the European Union (EU) and Turkey on the rise of authoritarian populism in Turkey.In recent times, the topic of refugees has gained significant attention in Turkey, particularly due to the country's economic challenges. However, instead of implementing sustainable policies for the social integration of refugees, the AKP government adopts short-term measures that exploit them as a cheap labor force and exploits their presence for political purposes in its relations with international actors. By considering the political economic theory of "rent" in Middle Eastern countries, scholars explore the concept of "refugee-rentier states" to explain how host countries maintain refugee populations within their borders in exchange for financial support from external actors. However, there is a lack of research on the impact of refugee agreements on governance and domestic institutions in recipient states, as well as whether refugee rent can contribute to democratic backsliding in non-Western contexts. In response to this gap in the literature, the proposed study aims to examine the concept of "refugee rentier states" within non-Western frameworks and explore its relationship with democratic backsliding. It argues that the economic sustainability of the existing authoritarian regime in Turkey poses challenges to the potential reversal towards democracy. The migration diplomacy between the EU and Turkey has effectively created a rentier state in Turkey, which perpetuates the conditions necessary for the consolidation of authoritarian populism.

Author

• Gülşen Doğan, Koç University