Emotions and Norms in the Syrian Refugee Crisis: The Comparative Responses of the EU and Turkey

This paper analyses the Syrian Civil War's impact on EU-Turkey relations and human rights protection, examining key leaders' discourses from 2011 to 2023. The EU often challenges human rights norms, prioritizing its interests and border security with emotions like anticipation, vigilance, contempt, serenity, and pride. Turkey primarily constructs its understanding around human rights and international solidarity, influenced by emotions such as anticipation, annoyance, resentment, and sadness. Turkish President Erdoğan and EU institution leaders often express annoyance and resentment for different reasons. Erdoğan's emotions relate to the EU's perceived mistreatment of migrants, while EU leaders' emotions stem from the migration process into the EU, occasionally resulting in contempt for migrants. These emotions contribute to the EU's challenge of the human rights norm, while Turkey typically protects and sometimes constructs it, revealing the complexities of this issue.