Sweden, NATO and the role of diasporas in foreign policy.

This article examines when and how diasporas influence the foreign policy of liberal democratic states, focusing on the Kurdish diaspora in Sweden and its impact on Swedish–Turkish relations during Sweden's NATO membership bid. It develops a triadic analytical model of state–diaspora interactions, emphasizing the permeability of political systems and the diaspora's identity, interests, cohesion, and mobilization strategies as key factors shaping their influence. The case study shows that the Kurdish diaspora in Sweden played an independent role by aligning particularistic Kurdish concerns with broader universalistic democratic values, thereby domesticating foreign policy and constraining executive autonomy. The findings suggest that diasporas act as transnational civil society actors with the capacity to affect bilateral relations beyond traditional ethnic lobbying or diaspora diplomacy frameworks.