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REGIONAL POLITICS
September 2016
of the first groups of Syrians in early 2011. their integration into the Turkish economy
After all, the most powerful politician in the and society so far has been through their
country had just suggested that Syrians, who interaction with local host communities.
do not even have refugee status in Turkey, This type of interaction has proven to be
may eventually be offered citizenship. important not only for building bridges
between the two communities, but also for
This rhetoric also suggests a significant shift from a enabling Syrians to contribute to the Turkish
policy framework of Turkey hosting the Syrians to economy by boosting demand. Recent figures
one of Syrians earning their livelihoods in Turkey. show that the Turkish economy grew by
Whereas the former policy framework largely 4.8 percent in the first quarter of 2016, a
rate that was largely attributed to private
approached the Syrian influx as a temporary
consumption due to wage increases and the
problem and aimed at sustaining the population Syrian refugees.6
until the war was over, the newly emerging
framework increasingly emphasizes the skills, However, the demand boosting effect of the
qualifications, employment and integration of the Syrian population will be effective only for
the short term. Medium and longterm plans
Syrian population
should be designed to maintain Syrians
active role in the Turkish economy, while
formalizing the terms of their employment.
Perhaps more importantly, however, the This could be made feasible through inclusive
justification for naturalizing Syrians has policies ensuring better access to the labor
primarily been based on the potential market under public private partnerships.
economic value added. During his now
traditional speech following the Eid prayer, The demand boosting effect of the Syrian
President Erdoan once again stood his population will be effective only for the short
ground, emphasizing three times how Turkey term. Medium and longterm plans should
could benefit from the qualifications of its
be designed to maintain Syrians active role
Syrian population. This rhetoric also suggests
a significant shift from a policy framework
in the Turkish economy, while formalizing
of Turkey hosting the Syrians to one of the terms of their employment. This could
Syrians earning their livelihoods in Turkey.4 be made feasible through inclusive policies
Whereas the former policy framework largely ensuring better access to the labor market
approached the Syrian influx as a temporary
under public private partnerships
problem and aimed at sustaining the
population until the war was over, the newly
emerging framework increasingly emphasizes What is the state of play?
the skills, qualifications, employment and Turkey retains a geographic limitation to
integration of the Syrian population. its ratification of the 1951 Geneva Refugee
Convention, which basically means that
With 2.7 million registered individuals, refugee status can only be given to those
Syrians in Turkey today correspond to about fleeing events occurring in Europe. However,
3.5 percent of the countrys total population. following the mass influx of Syrians, the
Only about 9 percent of this population Government of Turkey responded with an
resides in refugee camps, with the rest being open door policy and provided immediate
left to their own devices in mostly urban asylum to millions of Syrians. Following the
settings.5 The urban spread of Syrians meant initial influx, a legal framework was prepared
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Syrians in Turkey The Economics of Integration ALSHARQ ExpertBrief
and ratified in October 2014 that labeled bump in the speed of the bureaucracy
Syrians as Foreigners Under Temporary involved, the total number of Syrians with
Protection and granted them certain rights.7 work permits remains significantly short of
Under this regulation, registered Syrians what we might expect. If Syrians in Turkey
have free access to public services such as were to participate in the labor force in
education and health. However, integration identical rates with that of pre war Syria, we
into the formal labor market has remained a estimate that nearly 750 thousand Syrians
hot potato, largely going unaddressed for the would be eligible for work.(see Figure 1)
first five years of the crisis.
Figure 1 Population pyramid of Syrians in
Surveys conducted of migration routes Turkey, as of August 2016
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Syrians in Turkey The Economics of Integration ALSHARQ ExpertBrief
the law allows companies to employ Syrians construction, textile and manufacturing
as a maximum of 10 percent of their total sectors.
workforce.14 In addition, Syrians are able to
work only in the provinces in which they are The most important elements that need
registered. As a result, in its current form, the
to be addressed in work permit legislation
law limits the number of Syrians that
are the employment quota and the
can work in a given province to 10 percent geographic limitation
of its total private sector employment.
Even though this formula appears to be
workable after all, Syrians constitute roughly For example, the private sector in Kilis
3.5 percent of Turkeys total population the (primarily agriculture, industry & services)
geographical distribution of Syrians suggests employs 16,000 people.15 If all companies
significant trouble for the suggested model were to employ the 10% quota, they could hire
(see Figure 2). only 1,600 of the 130,000 Syrians in the city.
The first step of applying for a work permit
Figure 2 Unemployment rate (2015) and for a Syrian in Turkey is with the employer
share of Syrians (2016) out of the total signinga contract of employment.
population of Turkey
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Syrians in Turkey The Economics of Integration ALSHARQ ExpertBrief
such as the south east leads to displacement, Figure 3). Istanbul, as the countrys largest
especially of low skilled or unskilled males economic hub, was the obvious choice
belonging to the local labor force (see Table 1). for about half of the Syrian established
This dynamic can also be seen in work permit companies, with a total number of 1,838 new
applications out of the 4,019 work permits companies registered with Syrian capital
given to Syrians in 2015, 3,739 of them were in the megacity. Despite this sheer volume,
given to males.17 however, the share of newly established
Syrian firms was dwarfed by the vibrant
Table 1: The TR-C1 Region (Gaziantep- ecosystem of stanbul and represented a
Adyaman-Kilis) workforce indicators in mere 3.2 percent of all newly established
comparison with Turkey as a whole, 2014- firms there. In contrast, even though the
2015
Source: Turkish Statistical Institute, TEPAV absolute numbers of Syrian established firms
calculations 1 8 are lower compared to Istanbul, their relative
importance is much higher in south east
Syrian Entrepreneurship in Turkey Turkey. For example, in 2015, 13.1 percent of
With the focus on demand side management, all new firms set up in Gaziantep, Turkeys
however, an equally important aspect of the industry and services hub in in the region,
integration of Syrians in Turkey remains had a Syrian shareholder. This rate increased
overlooked: their potential contribution as to 15 percent in the coastal port city of Mersin
entrepreneurs. In 2011, Syrian established and to an astonishing 35 percent in Kilis.19
companies represented about 0.2 percent
of the nearly 54 thousand newly established
companies in Turkey. Syrian entrepreneurs With the focus on demand side management,
increased their presence in 2013, with Syrian however, an equally important aspect of
companies constituting 1 percent of the total the integration of Syrians in Turkey remains
newly established companies in Turkey. The overlooked: their potential contribution as
peak was in 2015, when the number of new
entrepreneurs
Syrian companies surpassed 1,600, reaching
2.4 percent of the total new established firms
in Turkey. South east Turkey and western
metropolitan cities in particular increasingly
became hubs for Syrian entrepreneurs (see
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Syrians in Turkey The Economics of Integration ALSHARQ ExpertBrief
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Syrians in Turkey The Economics of Integration ALSHARQ ExpertBrief
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Syrians in Turkey The Economics of Integration ALSHARQ ExpertBrief
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Syrians in Turkey The Economics of Integration ALSHARQ ExpertBrief
Endnotes sdn1602.pdf
1- Cumhurbakan Erdoan Betepede, Akam 10- UNHCR, daily estimated arrivals per country:
August 2, 2016, http://www.aksam.com.tr/ flows through Western Balkans Route, http://data.
siyaset/cumhurbaskani-erdogan-bestepede/ unhcr.org/mediterranean/country.php?id=502
haber-538330 11- Ministry of Labour and Social Security,
2- Turkey's Pulse March 2016: Do you approve of directory of work permits to foreigners under
the naturalization of Syrian refugees in Turkey?, temporary protection, http://www.calismaizni.
MetroPOLL Arastirma July 15, 2016, https://twitter. gov.tr/media/1035/gkkuygulama.pdf
com/metropoll/status/753927557289050112 12- Ministry of Labour and Social Security,
3- Erdoan'dan Trkiye'deki Suriyelilere statistics of foreigners with work permits, http://
vatandalk aklamas, BBC Trke July 3, 2016, www.csgb.gov.tr/home/contents/istatistikler/
http://www.bbc.com/turkce/ yabancicalismaizinleri/
haberler/2016/07/160703_erdogan_suriyeliler 13- Turkey gives working permits to
4- President Erdoan Performs Eid Prayer at 38,000 foreigners in six months, Hrriyet
Mimar Sinan Mosque, Presidency Of The Republic Daily News July 8, 2016, http://www.
Of Turkey July 5, 2016, http://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/ hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-gives-working-
news/542/45594/president-erdogan-performs- permits-to-38000-foreigners-in-six-months.
eid-prayer-at-mimar-sinan-mosque.html aspx?pageID=238&nID=101366&NewsCatID=344
5- As of August 2016, there are 254,747 Syrians 14- Here, we must note that officials from the
residing in Temporary Accommodation Centers, Ministry of Labor and Social Security stress that if
representing 9.3 percent of total Syrian population Syrians find em-ployment opportunities in other
in Turkey. Ministry of Interior-Directorate General provinces, the law is loosely applied and they may
of Migration Management-Temporary Protection be given work permits.
Statistics, http://www.goc.gov.tr/icerik6/ 15- Social Security Institution http://www.sgk.gov.
temporary-protection_915_1024_4748_icerik ac- tr/wps/portal/sgk/tr/kurumsal/istatistik
cessed on August 20, 2016 16- Disaster and Emergency Management
6- Turkish economy grows 4.8 percent in first Presidency (AFAD), Syrian Refugees in Turkey,
quarter, Hrriyet Daily News June 10, 2016, 2013 Field Survey Results https://www.afad.gov.tr/
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish- tr/2376/Suriye-Raporlari
economy-grows-48-percent-in-first-quarter. 17- Ministry of Labour and Social Security,
aspx?pageID=238&nID=100328&NewsCatID=344 Foreigner Work Statistics, 2015
7- Directorate General of Migration Management 18- Syrians in Turkey: Unemployment and Social
Law on Foreigners and International Protection, Cohesion, TEPAV Policy Paper, April 2016, http://
h t t p : / / w w w. g o c . g o v. t r / f i l e s / f i l e s / e n g _ www.tepav.org.tr/en/haberler/s/4046
minikanun_5_son.pdf 19- Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges
8- UNHCR survey finds Afghan and Syrian of Turkey (TOBB). New companies database,
refugees arriving in Greek islands that 29 percent authors calcula-tion.
of Syrian adults had a university degree, UNHCR 20- Turkish Exporters Association, Export Statistics
August 21, 2016, http://www.unhcr.org/news/ http://www.tim.org.tr/tr/ihracat-rakamlari.html
briefing/2016/2/56cc4b876/unhcr-survey-finds- 21- Authors interview in Kilis Elbeyli
afghan-syrian-refugees-arriving-greece-fleeing- Accommodation Center May 30, 2016.
conflict.html
9- 21 percent of Syrians who arrived to Germany
in 2013-2014 reported having university degrees,
International Monetary Fund, The Refugee Surge
in Europe: Economic Challenges, January 2016,
https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/sdn/2016/
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Timur Kaymaz is a Project Manager at the Economic
Policy Research Foundation of Turkeys (TEPAV) Area
Studies Programme and its Innovation Studies Pro-
gramme. His work focuses on regional development
and economic integration issues, both within Turkey
and in the wider neighborhood. Timur also coordinates
TEPAVs project portfolio and policy initiatives on the
economic integration of Syrian refugees. You can fol-
low him @tmrkymz.
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