Opposition Parties Abroad: Divergent Tactics of Parties in the Diaspora

• In Event: Poster Session: Political Organizations and Parties

Abstract

While existing literature on party politics primarily centers on national states, the profound impacts of globalization and transnationalization in recent decades have prompted significant reforms related to the voting rights and representation of emigrants. Additionally, national political parties have increasingly engaged with diasporas (Van Haute and Kernalegenn 2020).
In authoritarian and hybrid regimes, where opposition parties encounter formidable obstacles in achieving political power and promoting fair elections, activities related to voting abroad have become crucial. These activities not only serve to mobilize and, to some extent, polarize the diaspora but also empower citizens abroad to challenge authoritarian governments in their home countries. While the existing literature on parties abroad tries to undermine the activities and organization of these parties, it fails to systematically analyze the strategies of opposition parties abroad in the face of authoritarian regimes at home.
The political landscape of Turkey has witnessed a growing presence of Turkish political parties operating abroad, reflecting broader efforts to connect with the Turkish diaspora and advance political agendas abroad. While historically, the Turkish diaspora in the United States (U.S.) was not a major focus, the Justice and Development Party’s ascendancy to power led to a global approach to diaspora engagement, with Turkish citizens abroad viewed as representatives of Turkey's domestic and foreign policy interests and Islamic identity (Tepe and Gumrukcu 2024). This shift was reinforced by the extension of voting rights to Turkish citizens living overseas in 2012, creating a significant voter bloc for political parties. As a result, political parties, both ruling and in opposition, established bureaus and offices in the U.S. to mobilize the diaspora vote.
This paper examines the diverse tactics employed by opposition parties abroad in response to authoritarian regimes at home and transnational repression, focusing on the case of parties from Turkey in the U.S. The study contributes to our understanding of the parties abroad and influence of authoritarian states on diaspora politics by (a) comparing the activities opposition parties abroad, especially under authoritarian regimes, to those of the ruling parties in the diaspora, and (b) presenting systematic data on diaspora parties' activities, derived from original sources on lobbying by parties in the United States and in-depth interviews with representatives of Turkish parties in the U.S.

Author

• Selin Bengi Gumrukcu, Rutgers University, New Brunswick