Entrepreneurship Experiences of Syrians Under Temporary Protection in Hatay

Abstract

Due to its geographical location, migration has been a normal and habitual phenomenon for Turkey in all periods of history. The effects of the Arab Spring, which erupted in 2010, spread to Syria in 2011 and resulted in civil war. Later, with the involvement of international actors, it became a global issue and became one of the most asylum-creating social events in modern history. As a result of these incidents, the majority of Syrians fleeing the civil war have sought refuge in Turkey, which borders it, or used it as a transit country to cross into Europe.

In the study, the data obtained from the experiences of Syrians who have chosen trades from Syrians under Temporary Protection were evaluated and the effect of tradesmanship on the adaptation processes of Syrians was examined. In the selection of the subject of the study, the work on the tradesmen Syrians and the adaptation processes is less than other subjects. In this context, in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 Syrians, 30 of whom were tradesmen, through interpreters in 3 districts of Hatay (Kırhan, Reyhanli and Antakya). In the light of the data obtained, the proposed sub-problems were evaluated. The study also received support from the TUBITAK Project titled 'A New Perspective on The Adaptation and Adaptation Processes of Urban Refugees: Social Innovation Experiment for Inclusive Urban Construction'. The study was carried out within the scope of this project and other data obtained within the scope of the project were also used. As a result of the study, the importance of symbolic capital and social networks emerged in the decision of entrepreneurship, in which Syrians developed both personal and institutional relations with the host country more easily, supported these processes due to the cultural and historical history of Hatay province regionally.