Tension rises in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan
Millions of displaced Syrians are reshaping the Middle East in a way that will echo around the world. Michael Petrou, this year’s R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellow, travelled to the region to hear the stories of shattered lives. This is the co
Turkey has been one of the strongest opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s rule, and the Syrian war has had an enormous effect on its politics, security and foreign relations. It backs rebel groups fighting against Assad, and last August deployed troops to northern Syria to confront both the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the predominantly Kurdish militias that are ISIL’s most effective foes in the north. Although Turkey has declared a successful end to its campaign, dubbed “Euphrates Shield,” it maintains a military presence in the area.
And yet, of the three countries in the Middle East hosting the most Syrian refugees, Turkey is the least buffeted by the influx.
It is bigger, richer and more populous than Jordan or Lebanon, so the burden is comparatively smaller. And Ankara’s support for opposition groups inside Syria means Turkish authorities are generally sympathetic to Syrians who have fled Assad.
Omar Kadkoy, a research associate at the Ankara think-tank TEPAV, says Turkey is moving toward “a mediumto long-term integration policy” regarding Syrian refugees. It has accepted that many Syrians will likely stay in Turkey and cannot be kept separate from the rest of the population indefinitely.
Turkey is therefore increasing access to the legal labour market for Syrian refugees — a move that is controversial, Kadkoy says, because of high unemployment rates in areas where Syrian refugees have settled. Already, he says, there are some 5,000 businesses in Turkey that are owned or were established by Syrians. And 10,000 Syrians study in Turkish universities.
Language is a barrier. Most Syrians speak Arabic rather than Turkish. And it can be difficult for older Syrian students who have missed several years of school to integrate into the Turkish public education system.