© picture alliance/dpa/MAXPPP | Maxime Jegat
The Turkish Diaspora in France
France has a comparatively large Turkish population. Almost 600,000 residents have Turkish nationality themselves, or were born to Turkish parents. Significant labour migration began in the 1970s, followed by family reunifications. Turkish political and religious organisations are very visible, although often comparatively small. Since the 2000s, the Turkish community has increasingly become politically active. This has created tensions around issues such as the Armenian Genocide and the French government’s moves to tighten control over Muslim organisations. However, Turkish nationalist and Muslim associations are poorly organised and deeply divided. Moreover, a gradual diplomatic rapprochement between France and Turkey since 2021 has eased tensions within France.