IDENTIFYING THE GEORGIANS LIVING IN TURKEY AS A DIASPORIC COMMUNITY

Throughout history, people either singly or in groups have moved across international boundaries. Generally, the term “diaspora” is used to define these kinds of movements (i.e. from homeland countries to host countries). However, examining the motives behind Diasporas is a difficult task due to two reasons. Firstly, people spread out to maintain their life in other countries for many different reasons. Secondly, there are many distribution types. In spite of these reasons, the Diasporas have distinctive characteristics separating them from other types of “moving” communities, such as refugees and immigrants. This study attempts to identify whether the Georgians are a diasporic community or immigrants with features similar to diasporas. This will be accomplished by looking at the Georgian community with a diasporic perspective (i.e. by defining what diaspora means whilst considering their different aspects as well as providing a brief historical background about immigration).