An analysis of Turkey's bordering processes: Why and against whom?

Abstract

Every state tries to regulate, control and determine who may enter into its territory. Undesirable foreigners become subjects of bordering processes of states. By confining itself to the period between 1990 and 2010, this study explores the aims and guidelines of Turkey's Border Policy for the movement of foreigners; its borders against mobility and the reasons and the subjects of bordering processes: why and whom the borders are aimed to prevent or filter. As the findings present, Turkey's bordering processes against the movement of foreigners have been justified by arguments on security, about protecting the state's territorial integrity, as well as general public morality and the familial structure. The paper reveals that bordering processes targeted three main groups of foreigners: those who supported the PKK (Partiya Karkaren Kurdistan - Kurdistan Workers' Party) and criticized Turkey's actions and policy against it; non-Muslim and non-Turkic poor women; and Iranian, Iraqi and Syrian nationals with Kurdish origin.