Subverting Hegemonic Discourses in the Country of Origin Via Transnational Activities and Networks: The Case of Kurds

Kurds have been present in Europe since the 1980s (see for example, Griffiths 2002; Wahlbeck 1999). They are now a sizable community, and a significant component of many vibrant neighborhoods of European cities. The movement of Kurds from Turkey has been fuelled by the suppression of their cultural and linguistic rights and their forceful displacement from Kurdish villages, as well as their facing multiple forms of deprivation and exclusion in Turkey. They now run transnational community organizations, businesses, and satellite channels; they are increasingly active and involved in the social, cultural and political life of Europe (Demir 2012). Indeed, as Hassanpour & Mojab (2004: 222) also state, ‘the Kurds of Turkey have maintained a hegemonic presence in [European] diaspora politics’. This is because Kurds in Europe have created an alternative diasporic space which has turned them into active transnational agents, enabling them to challenge and disrupt Turkey’s construction of the Kurdish problem, and tell an alternative story about Kurdishness. Gaining rights in Turkey and subverting the hegemonic discourses about Kurds in Turkey rests, partly, on how well the Kurdish diaspora can build transnational networks in Europe (and elsewhere) and thus mobilize to gain influence and recognition. Moreover, the translation of Kurdish culture, rebellion and struggle (both to Europeans and to their second and third generation) and the transnational battles of Kurds are closely interrelated.  My paper will examine such processes by discussing the findings of my recent ethnographic research.