The impact of the influx of Syrian refugees on rural areas of Türkiye

Abstract

The rapid and significant influx of Syrian refugees to Türkiye, has transformed rural communities in Türkiye significantly in terms of living space, social and economic aspects. This study was conducted through a time-series survey over approximately four years beginning in 2016. The study area selected for this study was Çukurkuyu town, situated within the Niğde province in the Central Anatolia region of Türkiye. We argue that over this time period, conflicts and frictions between locals and Syrian refugees changed in terms of the object and intensity of the conflicts over time. The community members in the study area experienced significant confusion and conflict in the early days following large influxes of Syrian refugees. However, as refugees gradually migrated to urban areas in large numbers, and living spaces became separated from local people, confusion and conflicts were alleviated. On the other hand, competition for employment with seasonal Turkish agricultural workers living in the same temporary residential areas and engaged in the same agricultural activities, and conflicts over wage decreases emerged.