Turkish Immigrant-origin Political Parties in Europe The Case of DENK in the Netherlands

Turkish immigrants in Europe have formed several new political parties over the past decade. This chapter focuses on the Dutch case and discusses the origins of the DENK party created in 2015. It looks at their political claims, voter base, and broader implications for Turkey’s diasporas as well as for the home and host countries. The Dutch case is informative as the pure proportionality of the Dutch electoral system, supplemented by a low electoral threshold compared to most other countries, makes for a relatively open system for minorities to participate. There is sufficient reason to believe that in other countries, such as Germany, Belgium, France, and Austria, a similar immigrant-origin electorate exists. This is especially likely to be the case in large urban areas.