Political Turmoil and Attitude Change Among the Diaspora: The Impact of the 2016 Attempted Military Coup on Homeland Orientation Among Recent Turkish Immigrants in the Netherlands

Abstract

This study underscores the significance of home-country events in shaping connections between diaspora and their country of origin. Focusing on immigrants from Turkey who migrated to the Netherlands in 2012/2013, our panel-study sheds light on post-migration developments concerning interest in Turkish politics and sense of identification with Turkey. Leveraging the 2016 failed military coup as a natural experiment, we apply also rally effect theory. Our findings reveal that political interest increased in the aftermath of the coup attempt and stronger so among immigrants who supported the AK-party. Conversely, identification with Turkey declined, while remaining stable among migrants identifying as Turkish majority members. This research demonstrates the importance of examining responses to home-country events, elucidating on variations observed across subgroups.