The Belgian city of Ghent in the province East-Flanders accomodates ca 15,000 people of Turkish origin, representing 6% of the population. In general, they live concentrated in certain neighbourhoods of the city, forming communities characterized by strong family and community ties. Culturally, the language, religion and overall culture of their country of origin still play an important role in their lifes (Kanmaz, 2003 ; Kaya & Kentel, 2007). Within and beyond those communities, Turkish folk music manifests itself in diverse social strata and seems to play an important role in the process of identity construction.This is also the case in Turkey itself, where Turkish folk music continues to function as an adequate means of personal and cultural expression. The broad genre of ‘Turkish folk music’, however, is a complex and diverse field in itself, consisting of many interrelated variables (distinct repertoires and performance styles, different meanings and functions – depending on the regional and social contexts where it occurs). This paper investigates these interactions by elucidating the individual and social meanings and functions of this music genre in the specified diaspora context, also referring to a broader context through a comparison with the situation in Turkey. Methodologically, a qualitative, ethnographic approach will be applied to a selection of cases (musical events). An etic perspective (based on observation) will be combined with an emic perspective (based on structured interviews with musicians, audience and employers).