Border Crossing

Honorable Return or Diplomatic Expedient?

Deniz Yetkin Aker — 2026-04-12

This article examines how the concept of “honorable return” can be translated into practice for Syrian refugees in Türkiye, understood as voluntary, safe, and dignified repatriation in line with international protection standards. It argues that return should not be treated as a single event but as a form of governance shaped by legal certainty, socio-economic security, psychosocial well-being, and institutional responsibility. Drawing on repatriation ethics, the human security paradigm, and the capabilities approach, the article shows how prolonged temporariness, limited access to formal employment and documentation, and uneven municipal capacities constrain refugees’ real choices and undermine voluntariness. It further demonstrates that sustainable reintegration depends not on the number of returns but on sequenced and rights-based support, including pre-return counselling, reception services, livelihoods, housing, and long-term monitoring. The article concludes by outlining policy priorities centred on rights-based governance in the host country, verifiable conditions and accountability in the country of origin, and sustained international responsibility-sharing in line with SDG 10 and SDG 16.

Between Energy and Politics: Cooperation among Israel, Greece, and the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus

Figen Aydın — 2026-03-31

This study examines the energy dimension of relations among Israel, Greece, and the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus. It argues that political interests and energy-related issues constitute the binding elements among regional actors. Cooperation in the field of energy contributes to the deepening of political relations among these actors. Accordingly, energy policies and political interests overlap in shaping inter-actor relations in the Eastern Mediterranean. Regional political relations gain momentum when the extraction, exploitation, sharing, and transportation of natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean are taken into consideration. It is understood that political relations provide a foundation for economic relations expanded through cooperation in energy resources. The study claims that energy cooperation among the three actors has a significant impact on regional political relations.

Eastern Syriac Monastic Tradition on the Mountain East Syriac Monastic Tradition on Mount Izlo /Izla

Tahsin Korkut — 2026-02-28

This article, based on comprehensive archaeological surface surveys conducted in Mardin and Batman (Tur Abdin) provinces between 2017 and 2024 under the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, examines the financial developments, topographical distributions, architectural features, and current preservation possibilities of the monasteries under consideration. The study also analyzes rock-cut and masonry construction techniques, spatial organization, liturgical arrangements, and reliquary practices using a comparative approach. Each structure is evaluated within its natural environment and traditional context to reveal the continuity and diversity of East Syriac monastic architecture.Furthermore, the study addresses deterioration in rock-cut and masonry architecture due to natural environmental conditions, material usage (rubble and cut stone), flexible weathering, late additions, and modern interventions, discussing the impact of these elements on the original architectural structure. This evaluation ensures that not only the financial structures but also the preservation problems of these monasteries are addressed.In the conclusion, the common architectural elements of the four monasteries (single-nave plan update, apse arrangement, use of niches, carved crosses, and reliquary typology) and their individual characteristics were identified; it was emphasized that this structure is among the most original examples of East Syriac architecture in Anatolia and reflects the continuous monastic tradition in the region's Christian history.This study examines the East Syriac monastic tradition located in the izlo/izla Mountain basin, north of Nusaybin district in Mardin province, through a holistic approach focusing on the monasteries of Mar Yuhannon Tayyoyo, Mar Yoreth Aleksandroyo, Mar Evgin, and Kasgarli Mar Abrohom. Situated in the Roman-Sasanian border region since late antiquity, izlo/izla Mountain has played a decisive role in shaping East Syriac theological thought and monastic architecture as a geography where religious, cultural, and political interactions intensified. Based on data obtained from archaeological surface surveys conducted in Mardin and Batman (Tur Abdin) provinces between 2017 and 2024, with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, this article examines the monasteries in question within the context of their historical development, their relationship with topography, architectural features, and current state of preservation. The study also analyzes rock-carving and masonry construction techniques, spatial organization, liturgical arrangements, and reliquary applications using a comparative approach. Each structure is evaluated within its natural environment and historical context, revealing the continuity and diversity of East Syriac monastic architecture. The study also examines deterioration in rock-cut and masonry architecture due to natural environmental conditions, material usage (rubble and cut stone), structural deterioration, late additions, and modern interventions, discussing the impact of these elements on the original architectural identity of the structures. This evaluation ensures that these monasteries are considered not only in terms of their historical context but also in terms of conservation issues.In the conclusion, the common architectural elements (singlenave plan scheme, apse arrangement, use of niches, carved crosses, and reliquary typology) and distinguishing features of the four monasteries were identified; it was emphasized that these structures are among the most original examples of East Syriac architecture in Anatolia and reflect the uninterrupted monastic tradition in the region's Christian history.

De-agrarianization in Northern Nigeria: Circular Migration Laid to Rest

Maryam Liman — 2026-01-15

This study examines the dynamics of migration from southern Niger to northern Nigeria, focusing on the processes that leads to de-agrarianization. Data was collected through household interviews and focus group discussions with migrants in Daura, Katsina, ‘Yar Shanya, Magama Jibiya, Kano, and surrounding areas. Findings reveal that migration is driven by multiple factors including economic (bida), seasonal (ci rani), educational, health, and business-related motives. Most migrants initially engage in circular or seasonal migration, returning home during the rainy season for farming, but after six to ten years many transition into permanent settlement. This shift is often accompanied by household restructuring, where spouses either relocate from Niger or Nigerian partners join the household. Migrants sustain links to their origins through remittances, facilitated informally via personal networks. Results further show that economic migrants, particularly ‘yan ci rani, are the group most associated with de-agrarianization, gradually abandoning farming for non-agricultural livelihoods. While this transition enhances income opportunities in host communities, it simultaneously contributes to farmland abandonment and declining agricultural productivity in areas of origin. The study concludes that de-agrarianization poses a growing threat to food security in the Sahel, underscoring the need for policies that encourage sustainable land use, strengthen agricultural support systems, and provide livelihood diversification strategies that complement rather than replace farming.

Shaman in the Nomadic Cosmos: Ritual Expertise Between Tradition and Modernity

Çakır Ceyhan Suvari — 2026-01-15

This article offers a comprehensive analysis of shamanism in the Central Asian context, arguing that it cannot be reduced to a static relic of the past but should instead be understood as a dynamic and multi-layered system of meaning-making. First, the cosmological and ritual foundations of shamanism—anchored in tripartite universe models and axis mundi schemata—are shown to provide both symbolic and psychosocial frameworks for healing and communal cohesion. Second, shamanic social roles are examined across historical and economic domains, demonstrating how mediators of crisis, narrators of normative order, and agents of fertility and hunting integrate ritual performance with social and ecological life, including gendered dimensions of practice. Third, the interaction between shamanism and Islam is explored as a process of transformation rather than disappearance, highlighting continuities in ritual practice and contemporary revivals shaped by post-Soviet identity politics, heritage regimes, and global neo-shamanic movements. By situating shamanism at the intersections of identity, power, health, ecology, and religion, this study proposes shamanism as a productive analytical lens for understanding the entanglement of local tradition and global circulation.