Turkey’s Changing Attitude Towards Foreigners Since the Influx of Syrian Refugees Evaluation Note / Ayşegül Taşöz Düşündere & Yasemin Satır Çilingir

The immigration phenomenon has become one of the most debated topics in recent years following the refugee problem that emerged as a result of the civil war in Syria, discourse of “Leave EU” groups against foreigners before BREXIT, Trump's attitude toward immigrants during the election process. In 2015, 244 million people worldwide were living in a different country than the country in which they were born. This figure, equivalent to 3 percent of the world population, corresponds to the largest immigrant population in history at the same time. Globalization has created an economic environment in which goods and services can cross borders more easily, and has been instrumental in establishing a new social order in which individuals can be more mobile as well. Unlike many countries that have viewed immigrants as “cheap labor force” in the economic development process, Turkey faced the problem of foreigners while hosting the victims of a civil war. 2.8 million out of nearly 5 million Syrians who are forced to leave their homes due to civil war are currently residing in Turkey. The economic integration of refugees in the face of increasing number of Syrians in Turkey has

become a much talked subject. Yet, economic integration is only one of the steps for achieving social cohesion. The perceptions and attitudes of the locals towards foreigners play an important role in the harmonization process as well. In this study, we will examine a topic not much touched upon in Turkey so far: How is the perception toward foreigners in Turkey, and does Syrian refugee problem that started in 2011 have a negative impact on these perceptions?

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