Serving the Evolving Communities: Functions of Turkish Diasporic Web Sites in Germany

The central objective of this research is to shed light on the role of the diasporic web sites in terms of fulfilling various needs and expectations of diasporic communities, in which an evolving hybridity in structure has been revealed in recent years. In this context, it is aimed to investigate the functions of Turkish diasporic websites addressing the German-Turkish community. The study is undertaken by means of a content analysis of the main services provided in the five most popular Turkish web sites in Germany and through complementary semi-structured interviews with the moderators of these sites. The findings reveal that these web sites aim to undertake a unifying mission for the Turkish community in Germany.