Compensatory local turn?: municipal international relations and migration governance in Türkiye

This article examines how metropolitan municipalities and selected district municipalities in Türkiye have mobilised international relations in the context of migration governance. Based on a content analysis of municipalities’ international activities between 2014 and 2023, the study argues that international relations function primarily as an instrumental and compensatory mechanism rather than signalling a fully institutionalised ‘local turn’. While local authorities are increasingly engaging with international networks and projects to address migration-related challenges, these initiatives remain largely project-based and constrained by strong centralisation. The findings contribute to the urban governance literature by highlighting the contextual limits of the ‘local turn’ in migration governance.