CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Tekdemirkoparan, Nazlı |
|---|---|
| Title | Visa Walls and Academic Halls: An Exploration of Schengen Visa Challenges for Turkish Scholars |
| Summary | The aspiration for visa-free travel to the Schengen zone has been a longstanding desire for Turkish citizens, symbolizing a closer relationship with Europe. These aspirations were first bolstered by promises of increasing civil freedoms and political reforms introduced during the early years of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) administration in 2000s. However, the hopes for visa liberalization began to fade with the onset of a de-Europeanization process characterized by eroding civil liberties. Turkish nationals today face significant challenges when trying to obtain Schengen visas, from excessive costs to burdensome documentation requirements and prolonged processing times. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the impact of the visa-related challenges faced by Turkish citizens, particularly academics who contribute to knowledge exchange through their research, regarding their ability to travel to the Schengen zone. The dominant approach in literature argues that in knowledge economy, the states facilitate the knowledge exchange processes. In contrast, I argue that the states may use visa regulations as a political leverage against other states, and through such policies, they interfere with global knowledge flow. Through survey and interviews conducted among Turkish academics, this study underscores how these people perceive the impact of Schengen visa policies on their personal career and their potential contribution to knowledge flow through interactions with their colleagues in Europe. |
| Supervisor | Nagy, Boldizsár |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/tekdemirkoparan_nazl.pdf |
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