Preliminary findings of the 1st node of Turkey’s Ethnographic Antenna

Can we separate the experiences and regimes of citizenship from the acts of solidarity with migrants, refugees, and people on the move to fully make sense of solidarity? Can citizens’ actions be assessed without considering international migration and asylum regimes, national agendas, and policies? What role do people’s unique backgrounds and experiences play? This paper highlights the complex actions and intertwined nature of civil society and solidarists in Izmir, as observed in the solidarity actions case study. Based on interviews with activists, civil society workers, and random solidarists and participation in solidarity practices, it shows the nature of solidarity and the incentives of its scope and volume. This autoethnographic study demonstrates how neoliberal migration management and authoritarian neoliberal citizenship regimes constrain solidarity despite activists’ political positioning. Furthermore, it highlights the creative spaces of the struggle of activists under all constraints and limitations.