Intricacies of Engaging Diasporas in Conflict Resolution and Transitional Justice: The Kurdish Diaspora and the Peace Process in Turkey

The growing literature on diasporas’ involvement in homeland conflicts shows that diasporas have the power to influence political, social and economic developments in their country of origin and residence. Although this is an emerging field of research, there is still much to discover about the roles that diasporas play in conflict resolution and transitional justice mechanisms. This article intends to fill this gap by scrutinizing the Kurdish Diaspora as a case study. Based on in-depth interviews with Kurdish diaspora and extensive fieldwork observations in Europe between 2008 and 2015, it explores the intricacies of integrating diasporas into conflict resolution by analyzing approaches of homeland actors and fragments within Kurdish diaspora groups throughout the different stages of the peace processes.