Turkey’s Europeanization Process and The Return of the Syriacs

Abstract: The history of the Syriac community in Turkey, especially in Southeastern Anatolia, spans millennia, though from the 1960s on Syriacs have emigrated, primarily to European countries, due to socioeconomic and security issues. Since 2000, a significant number of Syriacs have begun to return to their former lands. This study shows that the return migration of the Syriacs is a reflection of another development that has gained momentum in the 2000s, namely Turkey's Europeanization process and the resultant relative increase in security in southeastern Anatolia. The study also provides information on the structure and probable impact of the Syriacs' return migration.