Mixed marriage and transnational marriage migration in the grip of political economy: Russian-Turkish Case

Since the early 1990s, marriages between Russian women and Turkish men have become more common. Today, Russian brides have the top place among marriage migrants in Turkey. This study aims to reveal the actors, places, motivations and mechanisms of these marriages, which have changed the social fabric significantly. The study emphasizes the direct effects of political-economic structures on mixed marriage and marriage migrations. In this study, in-depth interviews were held with Russian brides and their Turkish husbands in Istanbul and Antalya. The results show that this 30-year-old marriage pattern has evolved substantially over time, mirroring the two countries' political economy, and has created its own system that diverges from the global trend in several ways.