Leaving Home, Seeking Freedom: the Impact of Erdogan's Authoritarianism on Turkish Emigration Patterns

This thesis offers a rigorous analysis of the influence of Erdogan's authoritarian and islamist policies on the emigration patterns of Turkish citizens, specifically focusing on the departure choices of young, highly educated individuals towards liberal democratic nations. The transition towards authoritarianism in Turkey has led many citizens to reassess their life trajectories, resulting in significant actions like migration. In the last decade, a substantial number of individuals have chosen to leave Turkey, constituting one of the most significant waves of Turkish migration to Europe and beyond. Through the use of a vast literature review, which will cover an array of conceptual fields such as migration, brain drain, authoritarianism and political polarisation, a broad theoretical framework will be developed from which to begin analysis. Subsequently, it utilises a mixed-method analysis, combining existing literature on the subject with insights obtained from semi-structured interviews conducted with Turkish emigrants. Interviews, online legal documents and media reports will contribute to analyse the correlation between emigration and authoritarianism. Ultimately, the research seeks to elucidate the motivations behind the migration decisions of well-educated young individuals in Turkey, who, despite enjoying a comfortable standard of living, contemplate and exhibit tendencies to migrate, thereby departing from their current way of life.