The World Bank stated that Turkey now hosts the largest refugee population in the world, with Syrian refugees registered at 2.7 million, which is provided temporary protection. Most are living in tents, temporary shelters, and in urban areas seeking their own employment and accommodation. Due to global events, Turkey has become a second home for Syrians. Refugee camps were established in 2012 and 2013. However, they were overpopulated due to the many people leaving Syria. This leads to Syrian refugees spreading out across Turkey’s provinces. Most refugees lived near the Syrian border — though they moved to other cities to find work or transit to EU countries.

Turkey has been a highly sought-after destination for refugees due to the Refugee Convention. The Republic of Turkey is a signatory to both the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol, upholding the 1951 Convention’s geographical restrictions and keeping resettlement in a third country as the most desirable long-term solution for refugees who arrived as a result of events that took place outside of Europe. Turkey has been reforming its laws and institutions to create a functional national asylum system that complies with international norms.

The Assad Regime is a significant contributing element to the high number of Syrian refugees in Turkey. The Syrian administration headed by President Bashar al-Assad and his family is called the “Assad regime.” Hafez al-Assad, who had ruled Syria since 1971, was succeeded by his son Bashar. Authoritarian policies and the use of force to repress opposition have been traits of the regime. When Bashar al-Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, took office as Syria’s president in 1971, the Assad administration officially began. When Hafez al-Assad passed away in 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad took over as leader of Syria.

In 2011, demonstrations against President Assad’s government erupted into full-fledged combat between the Syrian government, backed by Russia and Iran, and anti-government rebel groups, supported by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other countries in the area. The war has been fueled by several campaigns, including joint attempts to destroy the Islamic State, hostility between the Syrian government and opposition forces, and military operations by Turkish forces against Syrian Kurds.

Even though Turkey is already home to almost 4 million Syrian refugees due to the ongoing crisis in their country, fears of a large-scale forced refugee return are growing due to the Assad regime’s attempts to improve regional diplomatic relations. When the civil war in Syria first broke out, Syrians escaping rising violence were welcomed into neighbouring nations. To increase public services and satisfy the needs of the millions of newly displaced people, local communities, international players, and host governments had to negotiate.

Major economic and social issues were brought on by the large migration of refugees into Turkey, including increases in housing, food, and rental costs. The country’s unemployment rate rose nationwide, particularly in southern Turkey, due to the influx of low-wage refugees into the labour force. Due to tight finances and poor infrastructure, municipalities have had significant issues. However, there is also a significant rise in Syrian business owners and workers who are contributing to the economy.

One may argue that while Syrian refugees contribute close to 1% of the country’s unemployment rate, this rate is higher in the southern region of Turkey. Additionally, local communities see detrimental effects on municipal services. Most survey participants—60%–70%—believe that the migrants “should be asked to go back home.” 10% of respondents disagree with the idea that refugees should be given official status or Turkish citizenship.

Not only the Turkish citizens, but hundreds of Syrian refugee men and boys were reportedly unlawfully detained, arrested, and sent back to Syria between February and July 2022, according to reports. Syrians who have been deported claim that Turkish authorities detained them inhumanely, beat and mistreated most of them, forced them to sign forms agreeing to return, drove them to border crossings with northern Syria, and forcibly crossed the border with them while holding them at gunpoint. Additionally, there have been allegations of increased anti-refugee sentiment in Turkey, with unrest turning violent, particularly in Istanbul’s densely populated working-class neighbourhoods.

Another worrying issue is emerging as Turkey’s economic situation worsens: a rise in anti-refugee sentiment in the nation. Out of the 5.5 million foreigners living in Turkey, about 3.7 million are Syrian refugees, according to the Turkish government. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, has boasted of his nation’s success in hosting refugees and frequently criticized industrialized nations for not doing enough to assist those fleeing crisis situations. However, it has been difficult to ignore the mounting tales of abuse, crime, and violence between Syrian and Turkish communities in a number of locations around the nation.

According to media reports, Turkey’s anti-refugee attitude is on the rise. Resentment toward refugees grows as Turkey’s economic crisis worsens, and tensions eventually become violent, especially in Istanbul’s packed working-class neighbourhoods. Large refugee communities reside in these locations, and the death of a 22-year-old Syrian, who was shot and killed in front of his home in the early hours of June 6, brought attention to the threats the sizable Syrian community faces. According to a poll taken in July by the Ankara-based ORC polling firm, about 54% of Turks think that their neighbourhood has a refugee problem.

Surveys show that Turkish citizens have a bad opinion of Syrian refugees. According to the HUGO study from 2014 and the GMF Turkish Perception study from 2015, a sizable portion of Turkish society is worried about the detrimental effects of Syrian migrants on Turkish society and its economy (Erdogan 2014, GMF 2015). Communities in Turkey have complained that immigrants are stealing their employment, driving down wages, and driving up rent.

Turkey’s reaction to the Syrian refugee crisis differs significantly from many other refugee-hosting countries in that it does not involve setting up camps or using government funding, which is a common practice. The notion of treating Syrians under Temporary Protection (SuTPs) as protected “guests” who will be well-prepared to return home once the situation in Syria is resolved is one to which the Turkish government is still firmly committed. But Syrians in Turkey must contend with hostile government policies and a rising tide of anti-refugee sentiment.

Deep Dive Into the Lives of Turkish Refugees

Sources

InSight Scoop