1. 1
The case of Syrian Refugees in Turkey
by Guillaume Fournier, December 2016
Following pro-democracy protests that erupted in Syria in March 2011 and the violent
repression that followed, the country descended into civil war. Armed groups started to appear
across the country, fighting against governmental forces and taking control of various areas.
Civilians started leaving the country to flee the growing violence. In May 2011, the first refugees
arrived in Turkey and the Turkish government started preparing itself for the possibility of
receiving great numbers of refugees.1
By the end of 2011 Turkey had already spent 15 million
USD to set up six camps for Syrian refugees. Quite separately from refugees who enter Turkey
simply to continue their journey towards the European Union, by early 2012 Turkey was housing
9,700 refugees. By the end of 2016, that number had climbed to more than 2.7 million2
.
These refugees have been facing important financial, economic, social, ethnical, health and
education issues, in addition to issues on their legal status.
Turkey is one of the original signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention, but this treaty
only covers refugees from Europe and therefore does not recognize Syrians fleeing violence as
refugees. Faced with new needs, Turkey established in October 2013 a temporary protection
regime for those coming from Syria which allowed entry into the country without visas and forbade
forcible return. In April 2013 Turkey adopted a new Law on Foreigners and International
Protection (LFIP)3
which establishes a new legal framework for asylum seekers, to be
administered by a newly created General Directorate of Migration Management. This new
framework extends to all people in need of international protection regardless of their country of
origin. However, it has been of particular relevance for Syrian refugees. These refugees are now
registered and receive identification cards stating that they can legally reside in Turkey. These ID
cards protect them against detention for irregular entry and the risk of being sent back to Syria,
and give them some access to the local labor market, to free emergency healthcare, education, legal
consultation, translation services, and to seek family reunification4
.
Turkey’ border with Syria is almost 900 kilometers long. In an effort to better control the
flow of Syrian refugees entering its country, Turkey has started building a wall alongside that
border. A 200-kilometer stretch has already been completed. Only two legal crossing points - out
of 19 initially - remain, and they themselves have often been closed since March 20155
. As a result,
the numbers of refugees entering Turkey from Syria has been steadily dropping over the last year.
However, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
there are today approximately five million refugees originating from Syria (out of a Syrian
population of 17 Million6
), living in just five neighboring countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq
1
http://yalibnan.com/2011/05/03/turkey-preparing-for-large-numbers-of-syrian-refugees/
2
http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=224
3
http://www.goc.gov.tr/files/files/eng_minikanun_5_son.pdf
4
http://www.goc.gov.tr/files/_dokuman38.pdf
5
http://www.politico.eu/article/turkeys-new-border-wall-will-stop-syrian-refugees-immigration-instanbul/
6
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sy.html

2. 2
and Egypt7
). Turkey hosts over half of these refugees. Turkey has a population of almost 80 million
people, and the 2.7 million Syrian refuges it now hosts represent about 3% of its population. The
2016-2017 Turkey Regional Refugee & Resilience Plan (3RP)8
shows that only 300,000 Syrian
refugees live in the 25 refugee camps that are under the direction of Turkey's Disaster and
Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The other 2.4 million are now dispersed in towns
and cities throughout Turkey. Most refugees still live in Turkey’s southeastern provinces near
Syria’s border, but many have made their way to large cities such as Istanbul (over 360,000 Syrian
refugees), Ankara, and Izmir (over 83,000 Syrian refugees). Some can pay for accommodation or
may have family members already established in Turkey. But a growing number are homeless,
and face significant economic hardship. In addition, children are being born among these refugees,
gradually increasing their number, but with an unclear status. AFAD announced in November
2016 that more than 170,000 children have been born in Turkey from Syrian refugees since 20119
.
Under Turkish law these children are not given citizenship and have great difficulty in obtaining
even basic identity documents. 50% of these refugees are under 18; 75% are women and children.
Turkey has made significant efforts to receive and accommodate this massive influx, but the issues
that these refugees face are many.
FOOD: To help feed the Syrian refugees the World Food Program (“WFP”) introduced
an electronic food card program in October 2012. This program is administered by the the Turkish
Red Crescent (TRC) and Turkish authorities and is only for Syrian refugees residing in camps.
A monthly allowance equivalent to 25 USD per person per month is uploaded by the WFP and
the TRC on the card and allows refugees to purchase food items from contracted shops in and
around refugee camps10
. This program is a cost-effective and efficient way to provide food
assistance and it supports the local economy. Between 2012 and the end of 2015, it has injected
nearly 140 million USD into the Turkish economy.
LANGUAGE: Syrians speak Arabic. Turks speak Turkish. The two languages are quite
different, both in their spoken and written form. The Turkish Health Ministry has allowed Syrian
doctors and nurses in the country to treat Syrian refugees, primarily in the camps, and the WHO
has supported this initiative and helped trained these professionals11
. But language remains a major
obstacle for Syrian refugees in finding employment, both for qualified professionals, but also for
unqualified workers.
RELIGIOUS and ETHNIC: Most Syrian refugees are Sunni Muslims. So is over 70% of
the Turkish population. However the area that borders Syria has also been home to other
populations. According to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy12
the massive Sunni
Arab refugee presence is modifying the ethnic and sectarian balance in some provinces. In August
201613
the Institute looked into the ethnic modification of five border provinces (Kilis, Hatay,
Mardin, Sanliurfa, and Gaziantep) that have received over half of the refugees and noted an
7
http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php
8
http://www.3rpsyriacrisis.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Turkey-2016-Regional-Refugee-Resilience-Plan.pdf
9
http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/2016/11/02/over-170000-syrian-babies-born-in-turkey-after-refugee-influx
10
http://www.bmdergi.org/en/world-food-programme-turkish-red-crescent-electronic-food-card-programme/
11
http://www.euro.who.int/en/countries/turkey/news/news/2014/12/training-syrian-doctors-in-turkey-to-boost-
health-services
12
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/PolicyFocus130_Cagaptay_Revised3s.pdf
13
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-impact-of-syrian-refugees-on-turkey

3. 3
increase of the Arabic population in these provinces that have been traditionally populated mostly
with Alawites. These demographic and religious modifications could have a lasting effect as
Turkish law allows foreign nationals who have lived in the country for five consecutive years to
apply for citizenship. Syrian refugees who have been in Turkey since 2011 are therefore already
becoming eligible for naturalization. In a March 2016 interview 14
Selahattin Demirtas, co-leader
of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) accused the Turkish government of using
Syrian refugees to willingly change the demographics in Kurdish provinces.
ECONOMIC: Syrian refugees are having a significant impact on the Turkish economy.
With an unemployment rate of 11% in Turkey overall and as high as 30% in the southern provinces
where most refugees are located, the influx of refugees has created tension in the general
population. In January 2016, the Turkish Government published new regulations which allow
Syrian refugees who have been living in the country for at least six months to apply for work
permits in the province in which they were first registered. However, because of the strict
limitations covering these regulations, by May 2016 only 10,000 refugees had applied for work
permits15
, and most refugees still do not have a work permit. It is also cheaper for employers to
illegally employ refugees. The NGO Business & Human Rights Resource Center estimates that
between 250,000 to 400,000 Syrian refugees are employed illegally in Turkey and are paid
between half and a third of the normal rate.16
. This is especially bad for children. Even though
Turkey has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor, a large number of
Syrian refugee children even under the age of ten, work illegally in hazardous conditions in
clothing and shoe factories on shifts longer than 10 hours and earn approximately 135USD, well
below the Turkish minimum wage.
Reflecting global conditions, the Turkish economy grew an average of 3% in the past four
years, below the country's 50-year average of 4.5%. However, the influx of unskilled workers has
filled a niche that does not entirely conflict with job opportunities for the Turkish workforce itself.
The Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies published a study on the impact of Syrian
refugees on the economy in Turkey17
in which shows that , despite claims that refugees have taken
job opportunities away from Turkish workers, in fact “Syrians are generally employed in areas
that locals are not willing to work in… in unskilled labor.” Syrian refugees have also contributed
to the economy. According to the Brookings Institution18
and the Financial Times19
, since 2011,
4,000 new businesses have been set up by Syrians on their own or jointly with Turkish partners
(over a quarter of all new foreign-owned firms created in Turkey annually), mostly in restaurants,
construction, trade, textile, real estate, travel, transportation, and food. Syrian refugees are now the
largest group of new foreign entrepreneurs in Turkey according to Turkey’s Union of Chambers
and Commodity Exchanges. The influx of refugees has also helped Turkey’s economy by adding
almost 3million additional consumers.
14
http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/interview/964ff3c7-de47-4187-8428-8165e877302e/%E2%80%98EU--US-
compromise-with-Turkey-on-human-values%E2%80%99
15
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/506c8ea1e4b01d9450dd53f5/t/570ebcf01bbee0bc27a2fdb5/1460583665950/
20160414+Turkey.pdf
16
https://business-humanrights.org/en/syrian-refugees-in-turkish-garment-supply-chains-an-analysis-of-company-
action-to-address-serious-exploitation
17
http://www.orsam.org.tr/files/Raporlar/rapor196/196eng.pdf
18
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2016/03/16/the-impact-of-syrian-businesses-in-turkey/
19
https://www.ft.com/content/93e3d794-1826-11e6-b197-a4af20d5575e

4. 4
HEALTHCARE: Access to healthcare and education for Syrian refugees is a growing
concern. Syrian refugees have free and universal access to primary public healthcare in Turkey
and only have to pay a fraction of the cost for pharmaceuticals. The WHO collaborates actively
with the Turkish Ministry of Health, but refugees suffer from a number of physical or
psychological issues20
, and from diseases such as polio, leishmaniosis and tuberculosis. A number
have been wounded. Public healthcare facilities in refugee areas are overcrowded. Hospitals in
border provinces offer approximately 30% to 40% of their services to Syrian refugees. Language
remains a barrier in medical treatment there as well for Syrian refugees despite the presence of
Syrian speaking doctors and nurses allowed to work in refugee camps. Access to reproductive and
sexual healthcare is a problem for women and girls, especially for those living outside camps. The
health of children refugees as well as that of children born from refugee parents, remains a serious
concern.
EDUCATION: Sixty percent of all Syrian refugee children in Turkey are out of school
even though they may enroll in state schools and temporary education centers. According to the
Turkey 2016 3RP the national school system is under significant pressure to accommodate Syrian
refugee children. By the end of 2016 it is estimated that there will be almost one million school
age Syrian refugee children living in Turkey. This places a significant strain on school
infrastructure, and on operational and maintenance costs. Enrolment of children living in camps is
relatively high, but the percentage of Syrian refugee children elsewhere in Turkey who are enrolled
in school is less than 30%. The UNHCR is working with the Turkish government to improve this
situation and to better the access of refugee children to the national education system. But the
situation remains critical, as it continues to encourage the exploitation of children in the workforce,
and to make integration more difficult.
SOCIAL & POLITICAL: There has been widespread support generally from local NGOs
and religious organizations in Turkey21
towards Syrian refugees, as well as from the Turkish
government and most of the Turkish people. Syrians share similar culture, religion and food with
the Turks. Nevertheless, a xenophobic trend has started to appear, insisting that Syrian refugees
should be kept in camps, and showcasing them as criminals, beggars, burglars or prostitutes,
incapable of adapting to the local culture and stealing Turkish jobs and homes. Demonstrations
against Syrian refugees have taken place, and physical attacks have occurred. Some mainstream
media have also amplified concerns about Syrian refugees living in the cities.22
Syrian women and children face exploitation and sexual harassment23
. Orphaned girls and
war widows without male relatives to protect them are among the most vulnerable targets.
Domestic violence, including sexual violence is rising due to the lack of room inside refugee
camps. Women have also been forced to prostitute themselves to support their family or
themselves. The Human Rights Committee of the Turkish Parliament has highlighted the growing
20
http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/24/14071381-turkish-hospital-gives-syrian-refugees-a-place-to-
heal?lite
21
https://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-syrian-humanitarian-disaster-disparities-in-perceptions-aspirations-and-
behaviour-in-lebanon-jordan-and-turkey
22
https://www.opendemocracy.net/arab-awakening/dogus-simsek/antisyrian-racism-in-turkey
23
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/03/syria-refugees-women-exploitation-
harassment.html#ixzz4R72chvDC

5. 5
problem of sexual violence towards Syrian women. Forced marriage of underage girls, sometimes
in exchange for money, is also a significant issue for girls in the Syrian community, despite Turkish
law not allowing people under the age of 18 to get married, as a way for families to have one less
person to support and to make money. According to The Economist24
Syrian child brides have
become a profitable business with agents taking a commission of up to $2,400 USD.
Syrian refugees have also been seen as political tools by the current government. After five
continuous years of residency refugees will be able to seek Turkish citizenship and by 2019, when
three elections are scheduled, the one million Syrian refugees who arrived between 2011 and 2014
will be eligible for naturalization. Critics are concerned that such new citizens would be
particularly favorable to President Erdogan and the Justice and Development party during the next
elections. In addition, the potential access of millions of Syrian refugees to citizenship would most
likely be a fatal blow to the agreement signed between Turkey and the EU. This agreement seeks
to limit the flow of refugees entering the EU from Turkey by allowing the EU to return them to
Turkey. In exchange the EU has agreed to liberalize visas regulations for Turkish citizens
Repatriations will further increase the numbers of Syrian refugees who end up staying in Turkey.
Their naturalization by the Turkish government would then negate the purpose of the treaty.
FUNDING: The 2016-2017 Mid-Year Report of the Regional Refugee & Resilience
Plan which outlines progress in the coordinated, region-wide response to the Syrian refugees’
crisis by more than 200 partners, including United Nations agencies, NGOs and other international
and national actors25
, highlights a severe shortfall of funding. Only 215 million USD of funding
has been received, versus total needs estimated at over 840 USD million for Health, Food,
Education and Basic Needs and Essential Services. In September 2016 the minister of foreign
affairs of Turkey his Excellency Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated that his country had spent over 12
billion USD to help the Syrian refugees. He also insisted on the fact that there should be more
burden sharing by the international community. To address some of these needs, in September
2016, the EU Commission in partnership with the WFP, the TRC and the Turkish authorities
launched the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN)26
.The most vulnerable refugees will be
provided with an electronic card on which they will receive monthly cash transfers to meet their
basic needs, feed their families and send their children to school. With a preliminary budget of 348
million Euros this program is the largest single humanitarian aid project financed by the EU. It
will be financed through the Facility for Refugees in Turkey by the EU and its Member States27
.
As the situation in Syria seems far from a peaceful resolution, Turkey is finding that a
group of almost five million Syrian refugees may become a more permanent part of its society.
This brings economic and social issues that have only started to be addressed, but that could also
have important political repercussions for the Turkish government both internally and in its
relations with the EU. Turkey has been generous in offering shelter to this large displaced group,
but that has been only the beginning of a larger issue.
24
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21604213-sexual-exploitation-syrian-women-and-children-increasing-
risk
25
http://www.3rpsyriacrisis.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/3RP-Mid-year-Report-Final.pdf
26
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-2989_fr.htm
27
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/turkey_syrian_crisis_en.pdf