Diaspora of Diaspora: Turkey-Finnish Tatars Relations

Abstract

From the rise of the diaspora of Mishar Tatar Turks in Finland - now known as the Finnish Tatar community - in the late 19th century to the present, the community has sought connections with the Ottoman Empire and later the Turkish Republic (from 1923 onward). Cold War politics partially account for why Finnish Tatars sought Turkish support, given that the community's homeland lay in Soviet Russia. Even as Finnish Tatars re-established links with fellow Mishar Tatar Turks in present-day Russia, the diaspora community has continued to seek support from Turkey. Furthermore, Finnish Tatars have, in turn, supported Turkey, especially in advocating for Turkey's acceptance into the European Union. Using diaspora studies, this article addresses the gap in connections between Finnish Tatars and Turkey. Through an overview of relations between Finnish Tatars and Turkey and a case study on the establishment of the Finnish-Turkish Folk School in 1948, which was born with influence from Turkey, the article argues that the transnational connections between Finnish Tatars and Turkey have been beneficial to both parties.