THE ROMA IN TURKEY - FROM SURVIVAL MECHANISMS TO DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES (original) (raw)
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Turkey’s Roma: Political Participation and Organization
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Resisting eviction: Sulukule Roma in search of right to space and place
… of East Europe …, 2010
Following the fall of the socialist bloc in the early 1990s, as a decade of upheaval of the lifestyle to which they had become accustomed awaited the Roma in Eastern and Central Europe, 1 their historic counterparts in Sulukule, !stanbul, were faced with the grim prospect of long-term unemployment due to the closing of their famous Entertainment Houses (E"lence Evleri) by the Metropolitan Municipality. 2 Nearly two decades later, still struggling with the results of that uncalled for and disastrous event-which led to almost universal unemployment, poverty, undernourishment, and the de-education of the children in the area-the Sulukule Roma now have to prepare for a second major calamity, coming again from the Municipality, 3 which intends to throw them out of the ancestral homes they have lived in over the centuries. It is this current and latter part of Romani life in the cosmopolitan, historical city of !stanbul on which this article focuses.We aim to describe and analyze how a specific gentrification process in a historically significant Romani neighborhood, Sulukule, !stanbul is handled by the Municipality, how the decision is impacting the residents, Authors' note: We started this research in October of 2005 with three academics, including Dr. Sevgi Uçan-Çubukçu from the Political Science Department of the !stanbul University, in addition to the writers. We have already, individually, submitted four papers to international conferences and workshops, and the research, as well as the writing of joint and/or individual papers based on it, still goes on. 1 Martin Kovats, for instance, points out that "living conditions and life chances of most Roma people in the post-communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, have acually undergone dramatic and ongoing decline" (2003:1). 2 Then run by Saadettin Tantan of the Motherland Party. 3 This time run by the dentist Mustafa Demir of the Justice and Development Party (JDP). The JDP has been in power in Turkey from 2002 through the writing of this article in 2007.
Two decades of research on Roma in Türkiye: Socio-economic exclusion, identity, and state policies
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This article examines a case of urban displacement and its impact on the local Roma community by uncovering the discursive strategies of the local governments and the tactical responses of the local people. Based on two-year-long ethnographic research, this study aims to understand the intricate dynamics of the counter-cultural production of the Roma people as a response to gentrification policies of local governments. The rapid rise of the rent value of land has motivated the capital class to force an exile strategy on Roma and accelerated existing segregation policies. During this time, some discursive strategies to manufacture public consent about the gentrification have circulated to change the representation of the Roma identity, replacing their imagery in mainstream society by mainly signifying them as the undeserving poor. This research aims to understand how strategic discourses and actions have positioned Roma in the societal and cultural sphere and in response, how everyday tactics of the Roma engenders counter-cultural forms through intercultural communication.
"Living in the mud": the "invisibility" of Roma citizens and of their right to housing
4th Global Dwelling Conference, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece, 2018
Despite their centuries-long presence in Greece and their Greek citizenship, Roma communities continue to be “invisible” in public discussions regarding social inclusion as indeed homeless people. Few state policies recognize that the housing problem is the basic reason for their non-integration to local communities. In Greece, a large portion of the Roma population live in “illegal” dwelling sites, which are characterized by complete absence of basic infrastructure (water, sewage and electricity), bad-quality or completely precarious, self-made “houses” made of second-hand materials, exposed to heat, cold, wild animals and lacking any hygiene. They completely lack community spaces, and, as leftover sites, they are functionally and socially cut off from the urban tissue, usually entrenched by natural or constructed obstacles or borders (river streams, highways, railway tracks etc.). These dwelling conditions, deprived of any decency, are the main reason for the vicious cycle of illiteracy, school dropout, unemployment, criminality, high rates of infant mortality and social exclusion. What seems to go unnoticed is that living conditions in truth define the possibilities for entering and remaining in the school system, for finding a job, for social acceptance. As long as these conditions continue to be tragically Third World ones, the vicious cycle will continue uninterrupted. In the paper, the above presented problematic is discussed based on the case of Ergochori settlement in Veria, Greece, an occupied site where for over twenty years Roma families have been living. A recent study, conducted on behalf of the Municipality of Veria, showcased how lack of proper dwelling, how “living in the mud” (to use a settler’s expression) perpetuates misery and anti-social behavior, and proposed a new, sustainable housing settlement for the tenants. The annulment of the project due to non-Roma neighbors’ reactions is yet another case of racism and denial of Roma’s right to housing.
HUMANITAS - Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2016
Until recently, Roma people in Turkey and their political demands have been largely neglected. This group of people did not have any political representation through which to raise their voices or any kind of political will to change the discriminative clauses in Turkish legislations. However, since the accession negotiation process to the EU started, there has been a limited but important awakening in the consideration of Roma people in Turkey. In this regard, the most important step was the election of the first ever Roma MP in the history of the Turkish Republic. However, it is still possible to see limited political participation by the Roma in Turkey. Based on interview data in a qualitative framework, this paper will question the background of the limited political participation of Roma people. The interviews are conducted in one of the Turkish cities which is populated by a significant number of Roma: Edirne. This paper will address the hindrances to their active political participation, the sources of these hindrances and how Roma people have perceived recent developments. Drawing on the literature on political participation by minority groups, this study argues that although there has been visible political engagement by Roma groups, two important barriers affect their active participation. The joint effects of discriminative attitudes and internal dividedness weaken the Roma people's power to influence politics. All in all, participation by Roma people remains limited and is symbolic rather than being influential and active.
Romani People and the 'Right to the City': Gentrification in Fevzipasa, Canakkale, Turkey
Canakkale city centre has been home for many different ethnicities from the past to our present day. In time, the city centre was also defined as a protected area due to its historical and cultural value. However, major infrastructure, urban renewal, and transformation projects have emerged in the agendas of both public authorities and the private sector. Similar to the rest of the world, in Turkey, Romani people are amongst the first groups to face the discriminating and excluding effects of such projects. This study aims to explore the relationship between gentrification and the violation of Romani people's 'right to the city' with a focus on the Romani neighbourhood of Fevzipasa, Canakkale.
4th Global Dwelling Conference, 2018
Despite their centuries-long presence in Greece and their Greek citizenship, Roma communities continue to be "invisible" in public discussions regarding social inclusion as indeed homeless people. Few state policies recognize that the housing problem is the basic reason for their non-integration to local communities. In Greece, a large portion of the Roma population live in "illegal" dwelling sites, which are characterized by complete absence of basic infrastructure (water, sewage and electricity), bad-quality or completely precarious, self-made "houses" made of secondhand materials, exposed to heat, cold, wild animals and lacking any hygiene. They completely lack community spaces, and, as leftover sites, they are functionally and socially cut off from the urban tissue, usually entrenched by natural or constructed obstacles or borders (river streams, highways, railway tracks etc.). These dwelling conditions, deprived of any decency, are the main reason for the vicious cycle of illiteracy, school dropout, unemployment, criminality, high rates of infant mortality and social exclusion. What seems to go unnoticed is that living conditions in truth define the possibilities for entering and remaining in the school system, for finding a job, for social acceptance. As long as these conditions continue to be tragically Third World ones, the vicious cycle will continue uninterrupted. In the paper, the above presented problematic is discussed based on the case of Ergochori settlement in Veria, Greece, an occupied site where for over twenty years Roma families have been living. A recent study, conducted on behalf of the Municipality of Veria, showcased how lack of proper dwelling, how "living in the mud" (to use a settler's expression) perpetuates misery and antisocial behavior, and proposed a new, sustainable housing settlement for the tenants. The annulment of the project due to non-Roma neighbors' reactions is yet another case of racism and denial of Roma's right to housing.