Arab diasporic media in Turkey: A story of (trans)national narratives in the Middle East

Abstract

The aim of this article is to investigate what seems to be a developing phenomenon of regime-critical Arab diasporic media post-Arab Spring in Turkey. First, the article explores the academic literature covering the concepts of (Arab) diaspora and (Arab) diasporic media. Second, it highlights the development of the Arab diasporic media in Turkey drawn from Syrian, Egyptian, Yemeni and Libyan landscapes. Finally, the article discusses the reasons that made Turkey welcome such a phenomenon. Methodologically, the article employs a qualitative analysis of secondary sources to explore and describe the subject. The Arab diasporic media in Turkey began to emerge noticeably in the aftermath of the Arab Spring in 2011 and ended up mostly in Istanbul. Turkey was motivated to welcome the Arab diaspora and diasporic media because it has some tensions with Arab regimes, the AKP’s support to Muslim Brotherhood Movement, and geographical, economic and political interests. However, although some of these media are still active, many had to end their operations, mainly due to financial issues.