Cihan Sendan: Turkish Diaspora's Right to Vote Indisputable

President of the Turkish-German Friendship Federation Cihan Sendan reacted to generalizing and exclusionary rhetoric targeting Turkish citizens living abroad ahead of the new election process approaching in Turkey in 2027. Sendan stated that as long as their citizenship bond continues, Turkish citizens have the constitutional right to vote, no matter where they live, adding, “It is a big mistake in thinking to view the Turkish diaspora as a monolithic political bloc.”

“Divisive rhetoric should not be repeated”

Cihan Sendan said that the expressions used by some columnists in Turkey targeting Turkish citizens living abroad could increase social polarization.

Sendan stated that generalizations such as “Almancılar” evaluate millions of people under a single identity, and expressed that this approach is not correct.

Sendan said, “As we approach a new election process in 2027, we hope that past divisive rhetoric and errors in judgment will not be repeated. We wish that our esteemed opinion leaders and the people in our homeland do not fall into the same errors in judgment regarding the Turkish diaspora.”

“The Turkish diaspora is not monolithic”

Emphasizing that the Turkish community living in Germany does not have a homogeneous political structure, Sendan pointed out that not everyone living abroad can vote in Turkish elections.

Sendan stated that the right to vote is tied to Turkish Republic citizenship, and said that Turkish citizens in Germany also have different political views.

Sendan said, “It is not correct to consider all Turkish citizens in Germany as having the same political views. Dual citizens and individuals holding only German citizenship have different legal statuses. Therefore, generalizations such as ‘Almancılar’ do not reflect the true picture.”

Election results reveal diverse political preferences

Cihan Sendan stated that the vote distributions in Germany in past elections also showed that the Turkish diaspora is not politically monolithic.

Sendan reminded that approximately 733,000 people voted in Germany in the 2018 elections, and that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received approximately 65 percent of the votes in the Presidential election, with other candidates also garnering significant voter support in total.

Sendan stated that approximately 850,000 people voted in Germany in the second round of the 2023 Presidential elections, and that Erdoğan received approximately 65.9 percent of the votes.

Sendan said that the election results showed that not all Turkish voters in Germany share the same political views.

“Not voting is also an individual choice”

Emphasizing that non-voting citizens should also be considered, Sendan stated that voting or not voting is a democratic choice.

Sendan said, “Whether a citizen goes to the polls or not is their own free will. Judging both those who vote and those who don't for their political preference is incompatible with democratic understanding.”

“Living abroad does not sever ties with Turkey”

Sendan, pointing out that the Turkish diaspora's social, cultural, and economic ties with Turkey continue, stated that living abroad does not mean that relations with Turkey have ended.

Sendan said, “These people maintain their connections with Turkey through their families, investments, social relationships, cultural ties, and future plans. Their economic and social contributions to Turkey continue. Living abroad does not sever a person's ties with their homeland.”

“Reaction to the 'Almancı' generalization”

Sendan, who also criticized the use of the word “Almancı” in a derogatory and exclusionary sense in some cases, said that the difficulties faced by the first generation of Turks who migrated to Europe should not be forgotten.

Sendan stated that the first generation struggled with economic and social difficulties for years, and said, “The labor and sacrifices these people made for years cannot be dismissed with a few words of generalization. The contributions of our diaspora to Turkey's economic, social, and cultural life should not be forgotten.”

“Democracy requires respect for differences”

Cihan Sendan, stating that different political views are natural in democratic societies, said that political preferences should be evaluated within the scope of individual freedoms.

Sendan said, “The true intellectual approach is not to see different ideas as a threat, but to accept differences as social richness. Instead of opening the right to vote of the Turkish diaspora for debate, respect should be shown for the expression of different views within the democratic system.”

“Turkey is our common home”

At the end of his statement, Cihan Sendan emphasized that citizens of the Republic of Turkey have the right to speak about the country's future and exercise their democratic rights, no matter which country in the world they live in.

Sendan said, “Turkey is the common home not only of those living within its borders, but also of Turkish citizens spread across the world. As long as the bond of citizenship continues, so do democratic rights. Respecting different opinions is a fundamental condition for a strong democracy.”

Tevfik ŞENDÖL / MUNICH